Amid the persistent high pertussis or whooping cough cases, which have already totaled 862 as of March 23, Senator Win Gatchalian urged local government units (LGUs) to assist the Department of Health (DOH) in rolling out catch-up vaccinations.
In a statement, the DOH said that the total number of pertussis cases is already 30 times higher than the numbers recorded at the same time last year. The department also recorded 49 deaths due to pertussis since the beginning of the year. The department further noted that 79% of infected patients were children younger than five years old, six out of ten of whom were either unvaccinated or had an unfamiliar vaccination history.
Previously, the DOH only had 64,000 pentavalent (5-in-1) vaccine doses, which offer protection from pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B. The DOH has already procured and is now waiting for 3 million pentavalent doses.
In the long run, Gatchalian also emphasized the need to boost local capacity for vaccine development. The senator filed the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 941), which seeks to provide initiatives that boost local vaccine development, sustain production, and boost technology transfer.
The proposed measure seeks to create the VIP, which shall serve as the premier research and development institute in the field of virology, encompassing all areas in viruses and viral diseases in plants, animals, and humans.
Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag previously said in news reports that due to lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, children were not brought to health centers for their routine immunization. Even though restrictions were lifted, some parents still refused to bring their children outside for fear of contracting coronavirus. According to the DOH National Immunization Program, only 72%—below the 90% target—of more than 2 million children aged one year below are fully immunized.
“Sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga kaso ng pertussis, mahalagang paigtingin natin ang pagbabakuna upang mabigyan ng proteksyon ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga batang may mas mataas na panganib na magkaroon ng sakit. Napatunayan nang ligtas at epektibo ang mga bakuna laban sa mga sakit, kaya naman hinihimok natin ang mga LGU na paigtingin ang pagbabakuna,” said Gatchalian.
