Taking care of the young runs in the veins of both father and son.
In 1976, then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. began the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) through Presidential Decree 996. The program gave children access to vaccines that protected them from cough, diphtheria, measles, pertussis, and tetanus.
Later, the EPI was expanded to cover mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and H. influenza type B through the Republic Act 10152, or the Mandatory Infants and Children Immunization Act of 2011. Beginning in 2013, school-based immunization was the strategy of choice to target school-aged children for more age-appropriate vaccines and missed doses of the basic vaccines.
The EPI aims to immunize at least 95 percent of Filipino children. The Discussion Paper of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies in 2021 said that the program has already covered 80 percent of children.
The Department of Health (DOH) has four strategies to reach this goal: 1) Reaching Every Barangay (REB) to immunize infants, children, and women; 2) Supplemental Immunization Activity (SIA) for those who have not been vaccinated or have not developed sufficient immunity after previous vaccinations; 3) Strengthening Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surveillance (SVPDS) by zeroing in on the causes of diseases; and 4) Procurement of vaccines, needles, and syringes for immunization.
Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the DOH launched the Measles Rubella-Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MROPV-SIA), dubbed as Chikiting Ligtas and Bakuna Eskwela. These concrete programs are in line with the “Sulong Kalusugan: Health Sector Strategy (HSS) 2023-2028 focusing on disease prevention and protection from future pandemics.
For Chikiting Ligtas, the health department plans to cover at least 95 percent of children 0-5 years old against vaccine-preventable diseases. Bakuna Eskwela, on the other hand, gives vaccines for measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria to pupils in Grades 1 (age 6) and 7 (age 12) in the public schools. On the other hand, Grade 4 (age 9) female students receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. For Bakuna Eskwela, the DOH has set a 95 percent target for fully immunized child (FIC) coverage.
Aiming for a Healthier Pilipinas
For the Chikiting Ligtas soft launch in April 2023, 100 children were vaccinated in Cavite and 50 in Rizal. With its official launch on May 2, 2023, more than 300 children were vaccinated in Palawan; 106 in Eastern Samar; and 6,728 in Mindoro. The following day, 100 children were vaccinated in Surigao del Sur. From May to June, a total of 162,251 children were vaccinated in Nueva Ecija and 35,068 in Eastern Samar, according to reports from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) regional offices.
During the MROPV-SIA Recognition Ceremony held by DOH-Calabarzon in Batangas in September 2023, Assistant Regional Director Leda Hernandez reported that 1,031,959 children were vaccinated in the region. By the end of 2023, the National Capital Region topped both measles rubella and bivalent oral polio vaccination coverage, as reported by PIA-6. The figures from the other regions can seen below:
Conduct of MROPV-SIA: 2023 Accomplishment (Source: PIA-6)
In January 2024 in Zamboanga Peninsula, DOH-9 reported that there were already 223,654 children immunized against measles and rubella, with 40,640 children immunized against oral polio. In April, over 230,000 children were vaccinated in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) according to their Minister of Health.
Moreover, in April, Malabon reported that they have already vaccinated 22,097 children. In the following month, Navotas announced that 16, 371 children were vaccinated against polio, reaching 102 percent of its target population for 2024 Chikiting Ligtas campaign.
In connection with this success, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said that “The DOH is committed to improve routine immunization coverage with the help of all community, national, regional, and global stakeholders. Everyone at every age should fully benefit from vaccines for their health and well-being.”
DOH Undersecretary Enrique Tayag led the MROPV-SIA in Sta. Maria, Bulacan in May 2023 (Source: PIA-3)
Meanwhile, the DOH reported a decline in measles rubella cases nationwide in June 2024. This was attributed to the intensified vaccination campaigns and heightened public awareness about the importance of immunization.
To raise further awareness about the issue, President Marcos Jr. directed the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in September 2024 to collaborate with the DOH to strengthen the information drive on immunization for children. “We have to get people who will say ‘You need this, the kids need this,” the president said.
In response, the Philippine Information Agency, as one of the attached agencies of the PCO, linked up with the DOH and mounted an innovative puppet theater show during the vaccination and immunization advocacy activity. The aim is to educate parents and children on the importance of getting vaccinated against diseases.
“This is a new strategy that we call an entertainment-education approach. We do not just deliver the usual lectures, but we also make the message more appealing and memorable for all ages, targeting both children and adults. We instill in them the importance of vaccination through theater play,” explained Romalyn Rancho, DOH-Mimaropa Health Education and Promotion Officer III.
‘Bawat Buhay Mahalaga’ in Bakuna Eskwela
On October 7, 2024, the DOH started its nationwide, school-based vaccination program dubbed as Bakuna Eskwela. The activity kickoff was led by DOH Sec. Herbosa at Dr. Albert Elementary School in Sampaloc, Manila.
“Thank you to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his support for this program at nabanggit nga ni Secretary Ted Herbosa na ‘yong HPV virus, mga magulang, ang ginagastos dyan ay 4,000 pesos. nagdesisyon ang presidente na maging libre ‘yan sa pangungumbinsi ni Secretary Ted Herbosa (Parents, the HPV vaccine costs 4,000 pesos and our President decided to give it for free as convinced by Secretary Ted Herbosa),” said Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara.
In Misamis Oriental, 100 Grade 1 students received the measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccines, while 100 Grade 4 female students received the aforementioned vaccines plus the HPV vaccine, according to PIA-10.
Shaira N. Mabao, a student of Bulua Central School in Cagayan de Oro City and one of the recipients of the HPV vaccine, said that “Happy kay naka-try naman ko og vaccine, mura lang og pinaakan sa lamigas (I’m happy because I’m able to try a vaccine that was just like an ant bite.)
Mary Joy Ayco from Bangued, Abra had his Grade 1 son vaccinated. She said, “Napateg daytoy bakuna para ti anak ko tapno maprotekyunan diayay salun-at na. Dagiti padak nga parents tuladenak ta daytoy ket para kadagiti annaktayo tapno maproteksyunan da kadagiti sakit (This vaccination is important for my child for his own protection. To my fellow parents, have your children immunized to protect them from illness.)
Angeline Margarette Somcio, a student from Iloilo City, said in an interview by PIA-Iloilo that “I availed of the vaccine so that I could be protected against viruses and diseases. I also encourage my fellow students and other people to avail of the vaccines for their own protection.”
Melissa Evangelista, a 48-year old mother from Legazpi City, Albay, even went to Sorsogon with her children for their vaccination. She expressed her appreciation for the Marcos Jr. government’s effort to provide free vaccines for the people.
While in Sorsogon coinciding with the launch of the catch-up immunization program of DOH-Bicol, President Marcos Jr. also called on the public to drum up support for the vaccination campaign. “We need to work together to ensure that more children are vaccinated,” he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Sorsogon on October 17, 2024, coinciding with the launch of the catch-up immunization program of DOH-Bicol (Source: PCO website)
“The DOH has been giving free vaccines for the past 48 years. We have proven that the vaccines given by our government are safe and of high quality. Let’s vaccinate our children at the nearest health center in your area, so they can be protected against diseases,” said DOH Region 1 Director Paula Paz Sydiongco.
The immunization program being rolled out by the Department of Health under the direction of President Marcos Jr. is one solid way to ensure the health and well-being of our children, who will shape our country in the years to come. #
