Measles, pertussis outbreaks stress need for improved vaccination — UNICEF

MANILA, Philippines — The ongoing measles and pertussis outbreaks serve as a "wake-up call" for the Philippines to improve its vaccination program, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

As the country marks World Immunization Week, the Philippines faces outbreaks of measles in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) and pertussis in parts of Luzon and Visayas.

Additionally, nearly 70% of provinces and cities are at high risk of polio.

The diseases are highly infectious and pose a serious threat to children, but are all vaccine-preventable.

"Immunization is one of the crucial components of a robust health system," UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said.

"To stem the outbreak, we urge leaders to go to the hardest-hit communities to see with their own eyes the many challenges being faced by families and health workers," she added.

Data from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 revealed 637,000 unvaccinated children in the Philippines.

UNICEF called on the national and regional governments to improve predictability of vaccine stock-outs, employ more vaccination teams, provide better support and compensation for barangay health workers, and prepare the health system for shocks like disasters and climate change.

On the demand side, the focus should be strengthening social preparation of communities before immunization campaigns, improving social listening, and intensifying engagement of community influencers.

BARMM has embarked on a measles outbreak response immunization at the beginning of April.

According to the Department of Health and the Bangsamoro Ministry of Health, vaccination coverage for children in the region reached 72% in April 17, representing a total of 981,805 children immunized. — Gaea Katreena Cabico