SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH) in Region 1 has launched a "Bakuna Ricorida" campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of immunization against preventable diseases.
 
This initiative also aims to strengthen community health by promoting childhood immunization. 
 
The campaign uses the catchy term, "ricorida" which refers to a scheme where public service or community announcements are made by people tasked to go around town using a megaphone or a public addressed system mounted on a vehicle. The announcements usually uses popular tunes as background music to attract attention.
 
The campaign coincides with World Immunization Week (WIW) which is observed from April 24 to 30.
 
WIW is a global effort to raise awareness about the importance of immunization and increase vaccination coverage against preventable diseases.
 
DOH Region 1 Director Paula Paz Sydiongco underscored the importance of timely and complete childhood immunization.
 
She emphasized the safety and efficacy of government-provided vaccines, highlighting 48 years of successful DOH immunization programs.
 
“Forty-eight years na pong namimigay ng libreng bakuna ang DOH at napatunayan po natin na ang mga bakunang binibigay ng ating gobyerno ay ligtas at de kalidad. Kaya ating ipabakuna ang ating mga anak sa pinakamalapit na health center sa inyong lugar upang sila ay mabigyan ng proteksyon laban sa mga sakit,” Sydiongco said.
 
(The DOH has been giving out free vaccines for 48 years and we have proven that the vaccines provided by our government are safe and of high quality. So let's vaccinate our children at the nearest health center in your area so that they can be protected against diseases.)
 
She added, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the World Health Organization's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), making it an opportune time to rebuild trust in vaccines' life-saving potential.”
 
Local government support for the campaign was pledged by Senior Administrator Fortunato Orencia.
 
The municipality of Agoo aims to significantly improve its Fully-immunized Child (FIC) coverage from 73 percent in 2023 to 95 percent this year.
 
"Bakuna Ricorida" will reach all 41 barangays in Agoo.
 
Public health workers will use mobile sound systems and megaphones to play catchy "bakuna" (vaccine) jingles while incorporating the traditional "ricorida" tunes.
 
This approach is part of the DOH's 36 Community Health Promotion Playbooks, a year-round initiative promoting health literacy as part of the Health Promotion Framework Strategy.
 
It aligns with the National Objectives for Health, specifically the action agenda's fifth point: "Pag-iwas sa sakit" (disease prevention).
 
The "Bakuna Ricorida" campaign serves as a creative and community-focused model for promoting childhood immunization in the Philippines.
 
By leveraging familiar music and local efforts, the DOH aims to reach more families and ensure healthier children. (JCR/AMB/PIA Region 1)