Manilla optimistic for the return of confidence in measles vaccine

MANILA: A senior government official expressed optimism about the return of Filipino confidence in measles vaccines, citing the growing number of children brought by their parents to health centers for immunization.

"I am pleased that parents now have a different perspective on the Ministry of Health's immunization program. What we are seeing now is very different from what we have seen in the past, when people were barely going to health centers to get vaccinated, "said Health Secretary Francisco Duque, speaking at a health clinic. ;a press conference.

But despite the growing number of children allowed to be vaccinated on the basis of reports of outbreaks of meals, Duque also admitted that there was still much work to be done to restore the confidence of the family. not only in vaccines, but also in vaccines. childhood diseases such as hepatitis, whooping cough and diphtheria.

He explained that it was particularly important since he had ordered an extension of the vaccination program throughout the country, noting: "Our supplementary vaccination was aimed at infants aged 9 to 59 months. But we have included six-month-old babies and the demand (for measles vaccines) will also increase. "

Duque explained that other regions are currently being monitored closely to detect any outbreaks of measles that have already affected areas such as Greater Manila, Central Luzon. Western and Central Visayas and Calabarzon, where about 70 deaths were reported from more than 4,000 reported cases.

In Calabarzon, 25 deaths have been reported, with reference to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon in southern Luzon, described as one of the richest and fastest-growing regions, welcoming the largest foreign community in the country. local businesses in their export processing zones and similar establishments.

Duque and other concerned neighborhoods have repeatedly criticized the "hesitation to the vaccine" the significant drop in the number of cases of vaccination attributable to the use of the vaccine Dengvaxia used in the campaign against dengue fever transmitted by mosquitoes in 2016.

The use of Dengvaxia has raised fears, particularly among parents, that could lead to the death of their children, as the prosecution alleges, which has laid charges of homicide and other criminal charges against perpetrators. related to the vaccine's mbad vaccination program.