October 4th, 2022
House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district) warned that the country could face a measles outbreak next year unless vaccination efforts among school age children are improved.
“The DOH said that only 63% of children and infants are fully immunized from measles, out of a target 95%. That’s an epidemic waiting to happen especially once you get these children together in closed spaces like schools.”
Salceda warned that as the country moves to full face to face classes starting November, more physical interactions could mean more transmission.
The World Health Organization has issued a similar warning this week.
Herd immunity typically requires that 94% of the population is vaccinated against a certain infectious disease.
“School could spread measles faster. By then, our guards against other diseases would also have lowered.”
Salceda, however, sees the face-to-face classes as an opportunity to expand vaccination efforts.
“It’s a good time to explain to PTAs the risks and the protections that come with the measles vaccine. Informed consent is very important. It builds trust and in the long-run would be a better way to encourage more vaccinations.”
Salceda said that partnerships between the LGUs, the DOH, and DepEd will help make vaccination more efficient.
“In the long run, we need to build capacity for vaccinating against common diseases. That is one function that an institutionalized Center for Disease Control can boost.”
The enactment of the Center’s charter, which Salceda principally authored, is a priority measure in President Marcos’s first State of the Nation Address.