UNICEF warned that at least two million Filipino children below two years old who are most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases may miss out on their vaccinations as the country faces the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNICEF called for the promotion and continuation of vaccination efforts as the majority of communities in the country are under enhanced community quarantine, with routine immunization services disrupted or suspended.
“Vaccines protect children against harmful disease and death, saving up to three million lives every year, or more than five lives saved every minute of every day. Vaccines are scientifically proven to be safe and effective to prevent diseases,” UNICEF Philippines Chief of Health and Nutrition Program Dr. Wigdan Madani said.
UNICEF stressed that lifesaving health interventions like immunization cannot be neglected in efforts to contain the pandemic.
Catch-up immunization and intensified immunization activities are deeply needed once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
These vaccination activities must focus on children who missed vaccine doses during this period of interruption and prioritize the poorest and most vulnerable children.
UNICEF is investing around P 85 million in the next three years to support the Department of Health and other partners to increase immunization coverage by helping strengthen routine immunization and improve processes to procure and distribute vaccines.
UNICEF also helps at the barangay or village level to strengthen local governance mechanisms, create ordinances and health committees, improve data and monitoring, conduct training and communicate health messages effectively.
“We recognize the vital role that health workers play during this challenging time. They are heroes in the frontlines risking their lives and the health and welfare of their families. We must do all we can to support, empower and invest in their safety, training and well-being, as they encourage parents to vaccinate against preventable diseases that remain a very real threat to children,” said UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov.
In the Philippines, childhood immunization coverage has been declining sharply in recent years from 87 percent in 2014 to 68 percent in 2019, exposing children to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.
The recent measles outbreak in the Philippines in 2019 saw a staggering 130 percent increase in cases compared to the same period in 2018.
Polio re-emerged in the country in 2019 with 17 confirmed cases and health experts fear an increase as the polio outbreak response had to be suspended due to COVID-19.