DOH, health-care groups highlight disease prevention during World Immunization Week

in celebration of World immunization Week (WIW) last month, the Department of health (Doh), together with health-care professionals and organizations, strengthen promotion of vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDS) including inoculating over 2 million children, as well as adolescents, adults, and pregnant women to be protected against VPDS.

With the theme “Magpabakuna na! Long Life for All, Kaya sa healthy Pilipinas,” the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), Philippine Society for Microbiology and infectious Diseases (PSMID), Philippine college for geriatric Medicine (Pcgm), and the Philippine nurses Association (PNA) highlighted the importance of immunization for all age groups.

“The current pandemic does not diminish the risk of other harmful diseases, but it does highlight the value of vaccines for people of all ages. With everyone’s support and cooperation, we can bring the ‘Long Life for All’ advocacy to every corner of the Philippines and ensure a long life well-lived for our communities, one vaccine dose at a time,” said Doh Disease Prevention and control Bureau and health Promotions Bureau Director Dr. Beverly Lorraine ho.

“Vaccines help in preventing future outbreaks of diseases. With a whole-of-government and whole-ofsociety approach, further vaccinating individuals shall be beneficial to future generations,” said Philippine

Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo. Further, Philippine Medical Association President (PMA) Dr. Benito Atienza highlighted that vaccines save lives and that no one shall be left behind in getting protected against VPDS.

“Vaccination saves lives, and it helps create healthier communities, and a healthier Philippines. We will never stop learning, innovating, and collaborating with the government, our scientific community, and our health-care professionals to find more ways to protect more people of all ages,” underscored Pharmaceutical and healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) executive Director Mr. Teodoro Padilla.

The Doh aims to conduct routine and catch-up vaccination through the chikiting Bakunation Days, which will run every last Thursdays and Fridays of the month from April to June 2022. Aside from infant vaccination, the Doh shall also provide vaccines for children, adolescents, and the elderly.

“We would like to take this opportunity to ramp up our vaccination efforts for routine immunization, while our national cases are declining, and our health system capacity is manageable. This is very important to prevent an additional burden of disease that may be caused by these vaccine-preventable diseases. ultimately, all these efforts are geared towards the vision of achieving an enabled and strong immunization system for everyone, everywhere at every age to attain a vaccine-preventable disease-free, and a healthier Philippines,” said health undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-vergeire.