Los Ríos health officials promote school vaccination program

The Los Ríos Regional Ministerial Secretary of Health, Dr. Felipe Bastidas, has emphasized the critical role of school-based vaccination in controlling preventable diseases. This initiative is part of the annual School Vaccination strategy under the National Immunization Program (PNI), which aims to protect children and adolescents through timely and equitable access in both public and private educational institutions.

The vaccination schedule includes administering the dTpa vaccine to students in 1st and 8th grade to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Additionally, 4th-grade students are targeted for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, alongside catch-up doses for measles.

Health officials noted that maintaining high vaccination coverage is essential to prevent the resurgence of diseases like measles, which can circulate more easily when immunization rates decline.