The Department of Health recently urged children and teenagers to avail of the government’s immunization program and be vaccinated against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Aside from infants, we have vaccines for adolescents,” said Dr. Janis Asuncion Macazo of the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.
“With some vaccines, the level of protection lessens over time,” as she explained why adolescents and teenagers need booster shots against measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria.
The DOH also provides free human papillomavirus vaccine to girls aged 10 to 19 to protect against cervical cancer.
The DOH provides free vaccines through school-based immunization. Teenagers may also go to the nearest health center to avail of free vaccination.
Based on DOH data, 13 of 100 adolescents contracted measles, 40 in 100 suffered from diphtheria, and 11 in 100 were infected with pertussis or whooping cough. These figures easily demonstrate the need for greater vaccination effort among that demographic, which is a shame as most are vaccine-preventable.
As the DOH observes National Immunization Month, Filipinos, including parents and teenagers, would do well to review their vaccination records and then if any shots are missing, take advantage of the free jabs being offered by the government in order to protect ones’ self and family from those diseases that should’ve been eliminated with a strong and consistent vaccination effort.
Keeping up with vaccination protects ourselves, our families, and the general population from dangerous diseases that could’ve and should’ve been eliminated with the wonders of modern medicine and properly implemented public health programs. Let us support the DOH and our government as it works to protect us from these diseases by trusting the experts and cooperating.*
