Inadequate immunization coverage has been blamed for outbreaks of measles, a highly contagious and deadly disease, in different countries, including the Philippines, based on the November 14 issue of “Progress Towards Measles Elimination – Worldwide, 2000-2023,” a joint publication of the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report said around 10.3 million people worldwide, mostly children, contracted measles last year, up by 20 percent compared to 8.6 million cases in 2022.
An estimated 83 percent of children worldwide received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74 percent received the recommended second dose. Measles is a vaccine preventable disease, but coverage of at least 95 percent is needed in each country and community to prevent outbreaks and protect populations from the infectious disease.
As a result of global-scale gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries, including the Philippines, experienced “large or disruptive” measles outbreaks in 2023. This was 60 percent higher than the 36 countries in the previous year.
In the Philippines, only 69 percent of the more than 9.6 million children aged five and below have received the complete two doses of the mandated measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is way below the 95 percent target.
If it’s any consolation, vaccination rates have been improving since the 55-percent slump in 2021 due to pandemic lockdowns and mobility restrictions.
Last year, a total of 2,892 Filipinos, mostly children, contracted measles, with 16 reported deaths.
The Departments of Education and Health have launched the “Bakuna Eskwela” campaign which aims to immunize at least 3.8 million public school students against measles, rubella, and tetanus-diphtheria, and another 973,930 female grade 4 pupils against cervical cancer.
Diseases that have been declared as eradicated by the global vaccination effort in the recent past are making an unfortunate comeback, mostly because we have let our guards down during the pandemic years. Measles is one such disease, but in countries like the Philippines where vaccination has been met with a bit more resistance due to some quarters making a fuss, even polio outbreaks have been reported.
The awareness and effort to achieve the level of immunization required to protect our population from vaccine preventable diseases is there, but the results and benefits are yet to be felt. Let us hope that it is continued and the desired outcomes are achieved so Filipinos would not have to worry about more diseases than necessary.*
