What happened to 'zero' measles target in 2008?
NANCY WANTS FULL REVIEW OF GOVT'S IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMS
Sporadic outbreaks feared as millions of Pinoys go unvaccinated

The Philippines should have had eliminated measles in 2008--but something very wrong happened along the way.

This is what Sen. Nancy Binay strongly believes as she expressed alarm over the increasing number of measles cases in Metro Manila and Western Visayas that have already ballooned to epidemic proportions.

Binay likewise voiced her frustration over the apparent collapse of the Department of Health's (DOH) "Ligtas Tigdas" immunization programs that rode on broken roller-coaster campaigns in the last 15 years since it was launched.

"Dapat matagal nang kontrolado ang tigdas, pero somewhere along the way someone had abandoned the (Ligtas Tigdas) campaign long before achieving its target," Binay noted.

She said she wanted to ask whether the Department of Health (DOH) has fully adhered to its mandate in exerting all efforts to coordinate and implement its "Ligtas Tigdas" campaign down to the household level.

In the light of the outbreaks, Binay is set to file a resolution next week calling for a full review of the government's immunization programs as it evidently failed to achieve a "zero" measles record in 2008, or 10 years after the Philippine government committed itself in 1998 to undertake mass measles vaccination targeting children 9 months to 15 years old.

"There are reasons to believe that the DOH has failed to have met its target in providing the needed immunization for children as well as for adults. They have more than enough budget for their immunization programs yet many children are still prone to MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) viruses," the senator said.

In 2013, the DOH had a budget of P2 billion for its expanded immunization program. This year, the department has P2.85 billion earmarked for the same program.

"The billion peso question here is, 'Anyare?' What happened to the vaccines the government bought in the last 15 years? Nagamit ba ang mga ito? Nag-expire na lang ba? Ilang mga bata ang napabakunahan? Bakit walang follow-up? Sino bang mga ahensya ang katulong ng DOH dito?" asked Binay.

The senator said it is hard to accept the explanation given by DOH officials that parents refuse to have their children vaccinated, or there are parents/children who fail to show up for a booster jab a month after being vaccinated.

"Ang pagkukulang ay hindi dapat ipinapasa lamang sa mga magulang. Malaki ang ginagampanang papel ng gobyerno dito. By not taking the campaign seriously, we are not only risking the health of the millions of unvaccinated children but are putting the entire country--and the entire region, at risk," Binay warned.

The "Ligtas Tigdas" mass measles immunization campaign is supposed to be a joint undertaking between the DOH, the local government units, the Department of Education and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

"The inconsistency in sustaining the program provides an extremely large window of exposure and susceptibility to the virus. If only the DOH and other lead agencies faithfully implemented its immunization programs, we would have long knocked out this viral disease. It's so frustrating that we're back to a scenario where hundreds of children are being admitted to hospitals--ngayon, ang mga bata ang nina-knockout ng tigdas," Binay said.

The "Ligtas Tigdas" program aimed for a "zero" measles target by 2008 but other priorities have overtaken the government's health agenda. Free vaccinations are supposed to be given to children between 6 and 48 months old and are given in two doses of MMR jab. Boosters are likewise administered to those who have previously received immunization.

Aside from the door-to-door campaign, local health stations, barangay health centers, hospitals, schools, basketball courts, public auditoriums, town plazas and other public places are identified as immunization sites.

One child with measles sitting in a classroom of 50 students could pass it on to almost 80% of students who are not vaccinated.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that can spread within an hour. Highly populated areas such as schools, shopping malls, hotels, airports, prisons and churches are prone to the virus.