The Department of Health (DOH) has yet to determine the extent of the possible breach into the country’s COVID-19 vaccination data following the hacking of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) database.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with the DOH, vowed to collaborate in addressing health issues directly affecting school-aged children.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa confirmed receiving reports that the COVID-19 vaccination data from the Philippines’ deposited with the WHO might have been “compromised and breached.”
“In response, the DOH is currently in close coordination with the WHO and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ascertain the veracity of this report, as well as to determine the extent of any possible data breaches, and the appropriate interventions, should there be any,” Herbosa told the GMA News.
He vowed that the DOH will provide the public additional information once available. DICT spokesman Renato Paraiso earlier said monitoring of the agency’s computer emergency response team confirmed the COVID-19 vaccination database of the WHO for the Philippines and India had been compromised.
This places in potential risk sensitive personal information of people who signed up for the COVID-19 vaccination program including their full names, addresses, birthdays, mobile numbers, email addresses, blood types, and medical histories. Security analyst Karla Cruz, meanwhile, said around 180 million data sets were hacked and released to the dark web. She also warned this poses a danger to the public.
Herbosa, however, gave assurance that “mechanisms are in place to ensure the confidentiality of the public data.”
“In the meantime, the DOH assures the public that the mechanisms are in place to ensure that the confidentiality of data and it has taken steps to further reinforce the security of data systems managed by the DOH through our Knowledge Management and Information Technology services,” he said.
He also called on the people to remain vigilant and take steps to secure their personal and private information through their own efforts amid recent hacking incidents.
“Think before you click,” he stressed. In a meeting on Monday, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and Herbosa discussed the clustering of Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) in schools, reported HIV/AIDS incidences among school-aged children, teenage pregnancies, mental wellness of students, and other factors that significantly impact the overall development of learners.
“We realized that not all problems of learners are solely related to the quality of education, both agencies have come together to prioritize the physical health and mental well-being of students.
Many of it are caused by physical and mental health, which is one of the biggest aspect that should be given attention to ensure overall development of intellect, body, and emotion of our learners,” Duterte said in a statement in Filipino.
Together, DepEd and DOH will work to identify the root causes of ILI outbreaks in schools and implement preventive measures to protect the health of students and staff, the statement said.
Duterte also said efforts would be exerted to raise awareness, provide accurate information, and implement preventive programs to combat the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS among school-aged children.
The two agencies will jointly develop comprehensive strategies to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and provide support to pregnant students, ensuring they can continue their education.
Programs that address mental health issues among students, such as stress management, counselling services, and the creation of a supportive environment will also be implemented.
By prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of students, both agencies aim to create a conducive learning environment that nurtures the holistic development of every learner.
“I thank Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and his colleagues in the Department of Health for the opportunity to discuss issues that concerns our learners,” Duterte said.
