BARMM's Ministry of Health Deputy Minister Zul Qarneyn Abas assured the Bangsamoro constituents of heightening government efforts to ensure that all children ages six months to nine years old in the region will be vaccinated against measles to prevent the further spread of the disease. Abas told the Philippine Information Agency's Talakayang Dose radio program recently that measles is a preventable disease and that community-wide vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent it, warning the parents that symptoms of measles include coughs, colds, red eyes, fever, and skin rashes. (File photo courtesy of MOH-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY (PIA) -- The Bangsamoro autonomous government, through the Ministry of Health (MOH), has called on parents in the region to protect their children against “vaccine-preventable diseases” such as measles.
During the Philippine Information Agency’s recent episode of the “Talakayang Dose” radio program, which airs on its regional and provincial Facebook pages every Friday, Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas, deputy minister of MOH-BARMM, encouraged parents to have their children six months to nine years old immunized against measles.
“Nanawagan po ako sa bawat magulang na kung maaari po sana ay pabakunahan ang inyong mga anak. Itong pagbabakuna ay safe at makatutulong sa ating mga anak. ‘Pag nabakunahan ang ating mga anak ay hindi po tayo mangangamba na sila ay mahawaan,” said Abas.
(I call on every parent to have their children vaccinated if possible. This vaccine is safe and will benefit our children. When our children are vaccinated, we will not be concerned that they may become infected.)
The official emphasized that measles is one of the vaccine-preventable diseases and that community-wide vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles.
Abas also reiterated that parents should not worry about the measles vaccine because it has been proven safe and effective.
“Ang panawagan po natin sa ating mga magulang, huwag po kayong matakot dahil ‘yan pa rin po yung bakunang ibinakuna natin 40 years ago na po. Apat na dekada na nating ginagamit ang bakuna na ito. Huwag na po nating hintayin na mahawaan ang ating mga anak at magkaroon ng mga komplikasyon,” he added.
(Our call to our parents is: Don't be afraid, because that's still the vaccine we used 40 years ago. We have been using this vaccine for four decades now. Let's not wait for our children to get infected and have complications.)
A child from Cotabato City received an anti-measles shot from the City Health Office (CHO) health worker. The Bangsamoro government kicked off its major vaccination drive in a bid to curb the spread of measles on April 1 and will continue until April 21. (Photo: PIA Cotabato City)
In the Bangsamoro region, over 1.3 million children will benefit from a free measles immunization drive by the MOH-BARMM from April 1 to 21, amid the surge in measles cases in the region.
“Sa ngayon, nakapagbakuna na po tayo ng mahigit sa 230,000 na bata, nasa 17 percent na po sa ngayon,” Abas shared.
(So far, we have vaccinated more than 230,000 children, or 17 percent.)
The MOH-BARMM has deployed a total of 2,210 vaccination teams in different parts of the region to conduct house-to-house immunization in an effort to curb the transmission of the disease.
“We have to make sure that no child is left behind in the BARMM,” Abas emphasized.
Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Sheik Abdulrauf Guialani, in a statement on April 4, prodded parents to have their children vaccinated against measles as the number of cases in the region continues to rise. He also emphasized that the vaccine is halal, effective, and safe. (Screen grab from the MOH-BARMM Facebook page)
Meanwhile, Sheik Abdulrauf Guialani, mufti (Islamic legal authority) of the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, has also reiterated the support of Muslim religious leaders in the vaccination drive against measles.
“Ang bakuna o Masl sa wikang Arabic ay walang masamang maidudulot sa katawan ng bata bagkus ito ay nagbibigay dagdag proteksyon sa kanilang resistensya kaya’t ito’y pinahihintulutan ng Islam,” Guialani pointed out.
(The vaccine, or Masl in the Arabic language, does not cause any harm to the child's body, but it provides additional protection to their resistance, so it is permitted by Islam.)
For the first quarter of 2024, there were already 741 measles cases recorded in the region, with Maguindanao del Norte's 213 cases being the highest in BARMM. (LTB - PIA Cotabato City)
