PROTECTED’. Jennifer Alejos (right), a nurse from City Health Office of the City of Dasmarinas, Cavite, administers oral polio and measles vaccines to a baby girl at the village hall in Barangay Salitran 3 on Wednesday (Feb. 16, 2022). Under the program, oral polio and measles vaccines are given to all children 5 years old and below. (PNA file photo)
MANILA – A lawmaker urges the Department of Health (DOH) and local government units (LGUs) to work together in reducing the number of Filipino children who have not received any routine vaccine.
Senator Nancy Binay made the call after the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that in 2021, the Philippines was the top five contributor to the 18 million zero-dose children globally and top seven contributor with most children unprotected for measles.
"Sobrang nakakabahala ang balita ng UNICEF. Sa ngayon, parang isang milyong bata ang 'at risk and unprotected' dahil wala sila ni isang bakuna (UNICEF's report is very alarming. To date, it's like around a million children are at risk and unprotected for not having a single vaccination)," Binay said in a statement on Thursday.
With the resurgence of many other diseases plus the new Covid variants, Binay emphasized the need for the government to step up its efforts in improving the country's immunization status.
"The DOH may also need to revamp its 'patak' (vaccination) strategies, and place a stable machinery to ensure the vaccination of 1 million children in two years max," she said.
According to Binay, targeting zero-dose children and improving the routine "patak" immunization coverage in the villages and school levels can be the critical step in reaching out to unvaccinated and vulnerable young population.
She explained that there are still a lot of underserved communities around the country and the critical link to the surveillance chain is the villages.
She said the local governments should also strengthen its response through information campaigns “to help the public's vaccine confidence and deal with the level of community resistance against having their children vaccinated."
"We need an 'exit plan'. We need a strong and renewed commitment -- a political will, with intensified efforts from the national and local governments to fill the immunity gap by establishing sustainable service delivery mechanisms through primary health care platforms," she said.
The Senator assured the Chamber’s commitment in investing to public health.
"We cannot allow our children to be victims of an immunization standstill. We made sure that the DOH has the means to address and respond to such cases and problems, and dispense the necessary interventions especially in this vulnerable cohort," she said.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, the Philippines was able to end the polio outbreak after vaccinating around 11 million children.
However, the UNICEF noted that there are still around 1.5 million Filipino children who have not received or completed their polio vaccine.
It said 67 out of the 81 provinces in the country “are at high risk for polio infections,” while 71 out of the 96 cities “are at high risk for polio.”
“Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis or death. Complete vaccination for polio according to schedule is the most effective way to protect children from this disease," the international body reported.
On the other hand, the UNICEF welcomes the DOH's efforts to integrate Covid-19 and routine immunization services so that the same urgency and investment provided by the national and local governments for Covid-19 vaccination can be given to routine immunization services for children and help reach the 95 percent target coverage for all routine childhood vaccines. (PNA)
