MANILA, Philippines—The health department on Monday received 175 vaccine refrigerators from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Health Secretary Enrique Ona said.
Ona said 23 of the refrigerators would be for use of public health facilities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. He expressed optimism that they would improve the immunization coverage in the impoverished ARMM.
Ona said many vaccine refrigerators in the provinces were badly damaged during typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The replacements, he said, would enable his department to maximize the potency of vaccines used in immunization programs.
The donation had been promised by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, said Ann Hirschey of the USAID.
The Department of Health has recorded 14 deaths from 5,186 cases of suspected measles nationwide from January 1 to April 16. Majority of the cases came from the National Capital Region followed by Central Luzon.