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Social issue: Outbreaks; Immunization “We will assist Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in formulating their
Can be address by a law? Yes communications plan to promote the government’s immunization
What to do? To amend RA 10152 with a penalty (penal provision) program,” Andanar said.
and to strictly implement it (IRR).
The DOH said about two million children are at risk of contracting these
diseases due to low vaccination rate in the last two years.
Mandatory immunization ordered
(The Philippine Star) - February 10, 2019 - 12:00am
Andanar directed government media stations such as the PTV-4,
MANILA, Philippines — In response to the measles outbreak, the
Presidential Broadcast Service, Philippine News Agency, Philippine
government will exert all efforts to ensure that Republic Act 10152 or the
Information Agency and Radio Television Malacañang to assist the DOH.
Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011 is
properly implemented, Malacañang said yesterday.
“The communications’ plan is on top of the full access to use the PTV, PBS,
PNA, PIA, RTVM and the Presidential Communications we are giving
“The Duterte administration recognizes that this is a public health issue
Secretary Duque and the DOH,” Andanar said.
that needs to be urgently addressed, which is why we are focused on
ensuring that the provisions of RA 10152 are properly implemented,”
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Duque attributed the low vaccination
Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Nograles said yesterday.
rate to the scare caused by the Dengvaxia controvery.
No penal provision It is estimated that 2.5 million Filipino children aged five and below who
Nograles said the government could neither force parents to have their did not receive the vaccine for measles remain at risk of getting the
children vaccinated nor punish them if they have not. disease.
“RA 10152 does not have any penal provisions and does not punish The UNICEF said while measles is a serious and highly contagious disease, it
parents who do not have their children vaccinated, unlike the PD can be prevented by vaccination.
(presidential decree) it replaced. Under PD 996, it was the duty of parents
or those having custody of the child to see to it that the child is Rees said that “population immunity can be achieved by 95 percent or
immunized. Those who did not could be punished with a P200 fine or one higher coverage and outbreaks prevented.”
month imprisonment,” he said.
“Unfortunately in the Philippines, the coverage for routine immunizations
The government does not need to resort to extreme measures to address is only 55 percent, despite the fact that anti-measles vaccine is available
the measles outbreak, Nograles said. free in government facilities,” Rees said, adding that the measles vaccine is
safe and effective and had been successfully used in the Philippines for
He said local government units play a very critical role in the more than 40 years.
implementation of the program, down to the grassroots level.
She said measles in children is deadly and can cause long-term
Alarmed complications and disabilities, which can seriously impede their
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) along with Filipino development and potentials.
pediatricians as well as experts on infectious diseases have expressed
alarm over the measles outbreak in the country.
“I urge parents and communities to take their children to the health center Negros Occidental had the most number of measles cases in the region last
to be immunized,” Rees said. month.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), the Pediatric Infectious Tumimbang said the surge begun in August, from relatively low numbers in
DIsease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) and the Philippines Society for the first half of 2018.
Microbiology and Infectious Disease Inc. (PSMID) have drummed up the
need to curb the measles outbreak. There were 370 measles cases in Negros Occidental in 2018 or an increase
of 1,380 percent from the 25 cases posted 2017, he said.
In separate statements, the groups highlighted the importance of
immunizing eligible children against vaccine-preventable diseases. Tumimbang urged mothers to have their children vaccinated for measles.
The PPS and PIDSP have asked their members to help spread information Health workers and teachers were urged to help explain to parents the
that vaccines are safe and highly effective and can reduce morbidity and importance of having children protected from measles by having them
mortality against infectious diseases. vaccinated. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Gilbert Bayoran
The PSMID said that pregnant women and patients with low immunity
could not receive live virus vaccines like MMR or mumps-measles and Read more at
rubella. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/10/1892465/mandatory-
immunization-ordered#B35pdBfQfy1T5KtG.99
Negros measles cases up
Measles cases in Negros Occidental increased by 3,333 percent in January
this year compared to the same period last year.
"The parent or guardian of every child born in Singapore shall take or cause
the child to be taken to a medical practitioner to be vaccinated against
measles when the child is between one year and two years of age....
If the child is born outside Singapore, but the parent or guardian cannot
produce any documentary evidence to show that the child has either
previously contracted measles or has been vaccinated against measles, the
parent or guardian of the child shall take or cause the child to be taken to a
medical practitioner to be vaccinated against measles within 12 months
after the arrival of the child in Singapore."
Under the Infectious Diseases Act and the Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria
and Measles Vaccination) Regulations, it is compulsory for parents and
guardians to have their child vaccinated against measles. The penalty for
non-compliance is a fine of up to $500 for the first offence and up to
$1,000 for the second or subsequent offence.