The Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Pasay City Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Senior Citizens’ Partylist came together to showcase how every sector is able to contribute to improving vaccination coverage during this year’s World Immunization Week Health Connect Forum.

The forum, organized by the the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association (PHAP), and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., focused on “Each Sector’s Role in the Big Catch-up” to ensure the protection of people of all ages against vaccine preventable diseases.

“The time is now to build everything to give vaccines to those who need it most. The children and the elderly who are still unaware of vaccines, are at highest risk of dying.” said PFV Executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo. PMA President Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag added, “Vulnerable populations also include the 14-17M indigenous peoples whose health concerns we should also address. Physicians at the PMA will join hands with the government to address gaps in implementation.”

The DOH noted that the Philippines ranked fourth in the world with the highest number of zero-dose children, which is why their priority is catch-up immunization for children who missed out on their schedules the past few years. They emphasized that this would only be successful through collaborative efforts. “Vaccination is a whole-of-nation approach. That is why we need everyone's help in order for us to catch-up and improve our vaccine coverage." said DOH National Immunization Program Manager Dr. Janis Macazo.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez noted that learnings from the COVID vaccination program can be used for all vaccination programs. “We developed the LGU guide for rehabilitation and recovery for COVID-19 to serve as an operational manual for similar situations,” she said.

This was echoed by Pasay City Health Officer Dr. Mercedes Noble, who coordinates the city’s National Immunization Program. “Our partners are very supportive in using their venues for mass vaccination programs. Our very dedicated barangay health center staff go beyond their office hours and even weekends, so no child will be left behind.” DSWD Director for Policy Development and Planning Bureau Rhodora Alday further shared how their programs are designed to address all of the social economic dimension which includes access to health services.

Director Alday said that the 4P’s program (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) helped incentivize beneficiaries for vaccination. “We are targeting around 700,000 households that have children below 18 years old to be enrolled in the program. Hopefully DSWD will help increase the immunization campaign through this program. Moreover, with a strong partnership that we have at the LGU we can design convergence programs to help free immunization available to people,” said Dir. Alday.

The forum also highlighted that catch-up immunization should not be limited to routine childhood vaccines. Atty. Charles de Belen from the Senior Citizens’ Partylist talked about ensuring our elderly loved ones are also fully protected from infectious diseases such as the flu. “Through our legislative agenda and initiatives, we try to expand the availability of immunizations that are inaccessible to senior citizens,” he said. Partylist Representative Congressman Ordanes’ HB 2097 recently passed the first reading in Congress.

“We now have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases for people of all ages. In this age and time, no one should die from vaccine preventable diseases,” said Mr. Teodoro B. Padilla, PHAP Executive Director Mr. Teodoro Padilla. With PHAP bringing together these stakeholders, both public and private sectors have shown strong support for continued vaccination efforts this World Immunization Week.

The media forum, moderated by journalist and health advocate Jing Castañeda, can be viewed on the Facebook pages of PMA, PFV and PHAP.

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, partners with the Department of Health (DOH) to promote education about COVID-19 vaccines through in-app and social media initiatives. As the Philippines aims to vaccinate 70% of its population within three to five years, this partnership between Shopee and DOH augments the concerted effort of the private sector and local government units to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated and protect themselves and their loved ones against COVID-19.

While the local government rolls out COVID-19 vaccination programs, the vaccine hesitancy rate among Filipinos continues to increase, going from 47% in January 2021 to 61% by the end of the first quarter. They remain resistant to the vaccine due to three key reasons: concerns about potential side effects, uncertainty about efficacy, and skepticism.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is honored to partner with the Department of Health to educate Filipinos on the importance and benefits of vaccination. Through our collaboration with DOH, we can provide the community with accurate and science-backed vaccine information. With proper education, we aim to raise the public’s awareness and hopefully encourage more people to get vaccinated.”

Beverly C. Ho, MD, MPH, Director IV, at Health Promotion Bureau DOH, said, “This partnership symbolizes what we, in the Health Promotion Bureau, want to do—meet people where they are and make living healthy easy. That's why we are thankful to use Shopee’s platform, one that effectively reaches and engages millions of Filipinos, to make RESBAKUNA reach a wider audience. The immense potential this partnership holds, not only in increasing vaccine confidence but in improving overall health literacy among Filipinos, truly excites us.”

Starting this month until August, users can learn more about vaccines’ safety and effectiveness from DOH and World Health Organization representatives. On June 23, 9:00 PM, users can watch a discussion on “Fake vs Fact on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy” on Shopee Live. Shopee will post helpful information about the vaccines on its official social media pages. A separate microsite will also be available on the Shopee app.

Visit https://shopee.ph/m/resbakuna-kasangga-ng-bida to stay updated on Shopee’s initiatives against COVID-19.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Dr. Salvacion Garchalian of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines discussed the nature of Japanese Encephalitis and its effects on patients, Japanese Encephalitis is a leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia cause by the JE virus. Transmitted by the mosquito vector of the Culex species (mainly Culex tritaeniorhynchus), it exists in a transmission cycle between mosquitoes, pigs, and/or water birds.
The public is urged to pay special attention to symptoms to ensure early detection. The virus can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), leading to high fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, confusion, and in sever cases, seizures, spastic paralysis, and coma.
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment  for this disease. JE is fatal in 20 to 30% of cases and among those who survive, 30 to 50%  suffer from permanent disabilities.
Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) have estimated that there are currently 3 billion people at risk for JE who are living in transmission risk areas, including 24 countries in the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions. JE usually occurs in rural and agricultural areas, with the disease occurring year-round in tropical countries. A local epidemiologic study showed that the virus circulates in all regions of the Philippines, including urban areas like Metro Manila, constituting a significant public health burden.
According to the WHO, the most effective way of reducing JE disease burden is through human vaccination. The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) has reviewed data on the different types of JE vaccines (inactivated, live attenuated, and live recombinant vaccines) and has found them to have acceptable safety profiles. Public health impact studies have also shown that JE vaccination is cost-effective. Local medical societies, including the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), have recommended that JE vaccination be give to those 9 months old and above. Other preventive strategies for disease control include bet nets, repellents, long-sleeved clothes, coils, vaporizers and mosquito control measures.
In light of the increasing reports of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in the news and online media, the Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA) and Sanofi Pasteur have come together to shed light about the nature of this disease and its prevention.
As of August 2017, the Department of Health has reported 133 cases of Japanese Encephalitis in the Philippines, nine of which resulting in death. As the public grows more aware of this mosquito-borne disease, the demand for the vaccine has also spiked. A recent advisory by the FDA warned the public against purchasing the vaccines online as these sellers are not authorized and safety of these online products has not been verified.


About the Vaccine
THe JE-chimeric vaccine (JE-CV), a live attenuated recombinant vaccine, was first licensed in the Philippines in 2013. The vaccine is produced by Vero cell culture, a cell culture technology recommended by WHO. Different clinical phase sutides have demonstrated its high immunogenicity and acceptable safety profile in both adult and pediatric populations. It is administered subcutaneously as a single dose for those 9 months and older. For individuals 9 months to 17 years of age, a booster dose is recommended 12 to 24 months after the primary dose. It is contraindicated for those with a history of allergy to the vaccine or any of its components, immunodeficiency, and to pregnant or lactating women, The public is advised to visit their doctors to know more about JE and how to prevent the disease.

Microscopic Image of Rotavirus vaccinenewsdaily.com

It is a learning experience being in an event that advocates for the safety and well of children.  And being a Mom, we really need to learn a lot of things for our kids.  That's what we learned when we attended an event held in Mango Tree Bistro in Trinoma Mall.  It was days before the celebration of the Chinese New Year and most of the people in the health industry are for also celebrating that the Department of Health has announced the media that they'll be including the Rotavirus Vaccination as part of the Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) 2012.  The Philippines will be the very first Asian Country to implement Rotavirus Vaccination in the EPI.

This is not a bacteria that can fight back or a virus in a computer that can be cleaned through an antivirus but it's something that children should not have during their first 2 years of life.  It's a rotavirus that is the leading cause of diarrhea or pagtatae. According to information, diarrhea is the second leading killer of children aged less than 5 years old.  Everyday, 1,500 children around the globe die because of rotavirus-related diarrhea.  Parents should be alarmed and educated about this.
To educate us more about ROTAVIRUS, here are some more information about the indirect and direct effect of the virus.

Image form mydochub.com

• Diarrhea leads to serious long term effects to a child's development in terms of height, energy levels and cognitive abilities.
• Diarrhea affects nutrient absorption.
• Growth shortfalls of up to 8.2 cm by age 7 years.
• Hospitalization due to acute gastroenteritis/diarrhea.
• Quality of life as well as their livelihood due to an income loss.

This disease is highly preventable through vaccination and with this there would be a better reduction of infant mortality rate.  ROTAVIRUS Vaccine is best given to babies from 6 weeks up to 8 months of age.  It is administered orally 2 to 3 doses depending on the brand of the vaccine.

Image from baby.families.com

Though Rotavirus vaccine have already been around for quite sometime there is still lack of proper campaign and education with regards to this vaccine.  Hopefully, the Rotavirus vaccine would be available soon on health centers and as part of the immunization programs.