MANILA — A health expert highlighted how immunization is "one of the most successful public health interventions ever implemented in the world", and has been saving 4.4 million lives globally every year.

Dr. Carla Orozco, a health specialist from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Philippines, said smallpox was eradicated worldwide because of vaccination.

"In the Philippines, vaccination has helped eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus - that was around 2018. Sa tulong din po ng pagbabakuna, we were able to control measles and polio outbreaks. And now we're having outbreaks again. So it's only vaccination that can prevent these diseases. It has also done wonders in reversing child mortality," she said in a Department of Health (DOH) forum for World Immunization Week 2024.

Routine vaccines are safe and available for free in health centers, including BCG Vaccine for tubercolosis, Hepatitis B Vaccine for hepatitis, Pentavalent Vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, pneumonia, meningitis, and hepatitis, Oral Polio and Inactivated Polio Vaccines (IPV) for polio, Pneumoccal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) for pneumonia and meningitis, and Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccine (MMR) and measles, mumps, and German measles.

Other vaccines include those that serve as protection against flu, chickenpox, and human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cancer.

Orozco said vaccinations also provided better outcomes for children, as these "prevent vaccine resistance, children are more likely to do well in school, and acts as a shield to benefit the more vulnerable", as in herd immunity.

She explained vaccination helps families and the society lessen medical expenses, resulting in a healthier population.

Dr. Robert Kezaala, medical officer from the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization (VDI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines, also attested to the benefits of vaccination during past outbreaks in different parts of the world, including measles.

"In 2019, we had quite major outbreaks that overwhelmed the system. And many of these were in Africa region, as well as in Europe... also in Western Pacific, which included Philippines. These went down with vaccination," he said.

VACCINE HESITANCY

Orozco admitted there are several factors that affect vaccine hesitancy - or the delaying or refusal to get vaccinated even when there are available vaccines - including "what people hear, read, and see; rumors and misinformation; experience in previous vaccination; trust in government; and political environment or events".

In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where there is a measles outbreak and an ongoing outbreak immunization response, 1,006,595 children have been vaccinated, while 19,342 deferred or refused to get jabs.

There are still 389,489 who have yet to be vaccinated.

Orozco found that common reasons for vaccine hesitancy in the region are "religion-based perceptions: vaccines are 'haram' or forbidden by Islamic law and that they invalidate fast during Ramadan; some believe they don't need vaccines because they are healthy; confuse the MR (measles-rubella) vaccine with COVID-19 vaccine", while others have "past negative experiences [on vaccines]; and apprehensions on the side effects".

The expert assured continuous engagements with communities - from their questions to issues and concerns - "to help them make informed decisions on their health".

FULLY IMMUNIZED CHILDREN

The DOH wants to achieve reach 95 percent of fully immunized children.

"For the past 10 years, nagpa-plateau na po tayo ng 60 to 70 percent," said Dr. Janis Bunoan-Macazo, Medical Officer IV of the DOH-National Immunization Program Unit (NIP)-Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB).

"Mayroong 30 percent po doon na mga bata na hindi natapos iyong mga bakuna at sila po iyong mga prone magkaroon ng sakit ng mga vaccine preventable diseases kagaya ng tigdas, pertussis, diphtheria kasi hindi nila nakumpleto iyong mga bakuna nila," she added.

For Bunoan-Macazo, the Philippines is still quite far from achieving herd immunity.

In a 2023 press release, UNICEF-Philippines also revealed that the Philippines has 1 million children who have not received a single dose of childhood vaccine--"the second highest in East Asia and the Pacific Region, and the fifth highest globally."

But measures are already being taken to beat this.

"Ang pinaka-response natin dyan ay, siyempre, magbakuna nang magbakuna. Isa sa nakita natin dyan na dapat gawin ay i-strengthen natin iyong routine immunization. Ibig sabihin ng i-strengthen is hindi lang tayo maghihintay sa health center ng bata na magpapabakuna, kundi hanapin po natin talaga iyong bata na dapat mabakunahan," Bunoan-Macazo shared.

"Bukod doon, meron din tayong regular catch-up ng pagbabakuna. Kailangan din na meron tayong bakuna para mag-catch-up tayo ng mga bata... Inaayos natin iyong mga stocks, inaayos natin ang mga data, inaayos din natin ang capacity ng ating mga health workers," she added.

The health expert said they are also strengthening the reporting and use of data to better analyze and respond to them, along with using electronic vaccination records so that files are digitized to prevent loss.

They are also tapping parents to become vaccination advocates in their respective areas.