Vaccination drive vs measles, rubella, polio to run throughout May
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will conduct a nationwide campaign to vaccinate children against measles, rubella and polio to restore the protection of Filipino children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
From May 1 to 31, the Department of Health will conduct a “Chikiting Ligtas” supplemental immunization campaign nationwide to reduce the number of children who have not received any routine vaccine.
The Philippines has one million zero-dose kids, the second highest in East Asia and the Pacific region and the fifth highest globally, according to a report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report also found the public perception on the importance of vaccines for children has declined in the Philippines by about 25%—one of the steepest declines among 55 countries studied.
The supplemental immunization campaign does not only aim to protect children from measles, rubella and polio, but also to restore public trust in life-saving vaccines.
The UNICEF report noted the Dengvaxia controversy in 2017—prompted by unproven claims that the anti-dengue vaccine caused the deaths of children inoculated with it—led to a “precipitous fall in confidence that vaccines were important.”
"Vaccines have proven to be critical in containing or limiting outbreaks of infectious diseases," Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
For the campaign, the DOH is allocating funds for the hiring of vaccinators, risk communications and advocacy activities, and delivery of vaccines and other supplies. This support will also extend to routine vaccinations until the end of the year.
UNICEF and the World Health Organization are assisting the DOH in procuring vaccines, deploying additional health staff, engaging with communities to address hesitancy and misinformation, and building cold capacities.
In a release, Sen. Nancy Binay called on local government units to scale up their information campaigns "to help the public’s vaccine confidence and deal with the level of community resistance against having their children vaccinated."
The Philippines was hit by a measles outbreak and the resurgence of polio in 2019 following a sharp decrease in childhood immunization coverage.
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