BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) urged parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated against measles and rubella to protect them from the two vaccine-preventable diseases.
CHSO Head Nurse Sonia Wakat-Insas said measles, locally known as tigdas, and rubella (German measles) have similar symptoms but their rashes differ—measles usually begins on the face while rubella commonly starts on the chest or back. Children below five years old are most vulnerable to both diseases.
“The disease itself does not kill; what kills is the complication,” Wakat-Insas said during PTV Cordillera’s Isyu at Serbisyo on October 23.
Vaccine protection
Wakat-Insas explained that children routinely receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at nine months and again at one year old. However, she said an additional measles-rubella dose during supplemental immunization activities helps boost a child’s antibodies and strengthen protection.
She acknowledged that no vaccine provides 100-percent protection, but she stressed that vaccinated children have far better protection than those who remain unvaccinated.
“That is why we give another dose so they can be more protected,” she said.
The CHSO recently implemented the third phase of the Department of Health’s Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA) in Baguio City. The campaign covered 16 health centers and 128 barangays, targeting children aged six to 59 months.
Coverage and refusals
Wakat-Insas said the city had two targets: about 25,000 children based on the Philippine Statistics Authority estimate and 17,000 children based on the actual OPT Plus or eligible population aged zero to 59 months.
Based on the PSA target, she said the city’s accomplishment stood at 44 percent, while coverage against the actual target was about 60 percent.
To address refusals, health workers conduct follow-up visits and coordinate with physicians, the local government, and the DOH to explain the importance and safety of vaccination.
Wakat-Insas identified misinformation on social media, particularly Facebook, as a major challenge in Baguio City.
“Our source of information in the community is Facebook, and there is a lot of fake news about immunization,” she said. She shared that some parents refuse vaccination after reading unverified posts claiming that children became sick after being inoculated.
She also cited religious objections and differing decisions among parents, grandparents, and other family members as reasons for refusal.
Where to get vaccines
Children who missed the MR-SIA may still receive routine immunization at any of Baguio City’s 16 health centers and at Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart, which are CHSO partners for routine immunization services.
Parents are advised to immediately report any adverse event following immunization to the nearest health center for proper assessment and response.
The DOH-CAR earlier said the MR-SIA is a non-selective campaign, meaning eligible children aged six to 59 months should receive the MR vaccine regardless of previous vaccination status, unless there is a medical contraindication. **JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR
