Back to school for DOH immunization program

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) declared yesterday that the so-called Dengvaxia scare is “over,” citing the renewed public interest in vaccination.

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, “confidence in vaccination has increased primarily because of the outbreaks of measles” that occured in some parts of the country in the past few months.

“The confidence in vaccines had plummeted after the Dengvaxia case... (But now) I really would like to believe that the scare is over,” Duque said at a press conference for the re-launching of a school-based immunization kick-off activity at Signal Village National High School in Taguig City.

Duque maintained the vaccination rate had dropped to 32 percent, but this has already improved.

The health chief added that after the declaration of measles outbreaks in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas in February, they began to see a “stream of fear” among parents who flooded the health centers to get their children vaccinated.

He said currently, vaccine coverage is around 91 percent, citing a survey commissioned by Malacañang. Duque, however, underscored that they are still not satisfied as they want to achieve a 95 percent vaccination rate for measles to achieve herd immunity, a condition in which even unvaccinated children are protected.

DOH data show measles vaccine coverage among children from Kinder to Grade 7 is at only 12 percent; while those 12 years old and above is at 22 percent. This prompted the re-launch yesterday of the DOH’s school-based immunization program to provide booster vaccination to 9,913,032 students who missed their vaccination schedule.

The agency is targetting to vaccinate school children from kindergarten to grade 7 (K-7) against measles, tetanus and diphtheria.

Duque said the program is “a strategy for reaching older children and adolescents.” He added that vaccines given during infancy provide children a good start in life and “giving vaccines to older children will ensure that they continue to be protected against life-threatening diseases as they become adults.”