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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Get children immunized–Unicef

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A United Nations agency has expressed alarm over the measles outbreak across the Philippines. 

Unicef cited recent reports from the Department of Health and the World Health Organization that showed there were more than 20,000  measles cases in the country as of December 2018, a 500 percent increase from last year. 

From May 2017 to April 2018 globally, the Philippines ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest incidence of measles, along with Nigeria, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. An estimated 2.5 million Filipino children from under five were not vaccinated with the measles vaccine remain at risk of getting the disease. 

Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease. Population immunity can be achieved by 95 percent or higher coverage and outbreaks prevented, Unicef said.

 Unfortunately, coverage for routine immunizations in the Philippines is only 55 percent. If not prevented, measles can cause serious complications including infection of the brain, severe diarrhea and dehydration, pneumonia and ear infections and even death. Measles survivors are often left with life-long disabilities, such as blindness, deafness and brain damage. 

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“Vaccinations to prevent measles is available free of cost in government health centres. The measles vaccine is safe and effective and had been successfully used in the Philippines for more than 40 years now. Measles in children is deadly and can cause long-term complications and disabilities which can seriously impede development and potential in our children,” UNICEF Philippines Deputy Representative Julia Rees says, “I urge parents and communities to take their children to the health center to be immunized.” 

The Philippines, as a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is mandated to give children the best health care possible, including vaccination against childhood diseases. The Republic Act 10152 or the Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act states that mandatory basic immunization shall be given for free at any government hospital or health center to infants and children up to five (5) years of age.  

Falling short of utmost efforts to urgently increase vaccination coverage and identify populations with unacceptable levels of under, or unimmunized children, we risk losing decades of progress in protecting children and communities against this devastating but entirely preventable disease, according to the World Health Organization. 

UNICEF said it is fully committed in supporting the Philippine government to fight measles by ensuring that vaccines are available. “We also provide technical assistance to improve coverage of routine immunization and supplemental immunization activities and improve public awareness on measles vaccination,” Rees said.

‘We call on parents and caregivers to bring their children to the nearest health center to have their children vaccinated and ensure that they receive at least 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine. Children with severe symptoms should see a barangay health worker or midwife as soon as possible, however, to prevent spreading the infection at the health facility, children without severe symptoms may be better taken care of at home,” Rees said.

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