DOH reminds public: Vaccines available for free at health centers

The Department of Health renewed Monday its call for the public to undergo immunization to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases, stressing that vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect against severe illness and death.

In an advisory, the Health Department said the public may avail of the following vaccines for free at health centers and DOH-Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service  (BUCAS) centers nationwide:

Ages 0–12 months:

• BCG vaccine (against tuberculosis)
• Hepatitis B vaccine
• Pentavalent vaccine
• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)
• Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV)
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine

School-age children (9–14 years old):

• Grade 1 and Grade 7: Measles-Rubella (MR) and Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccines
• Grade 4 girls: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

Pregnant women:

• Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccine

Senior citizens (60 years old and above):

• Influenza vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccine

“Ang mga bakunang ito ay napatunayang ligtas at epektibo para hindi maospital at maiwasan ang nakamamatay na mga sakit,” the DOH said in a social media post.

(These vaccines have been proven safe and effective to prevent hospitalizations and deaths due to illnesses.)

“Mas malaki ang gastos kung magkasakit na puwede namang maiwasan kung magpapabakuna,” it added.

(The hospitalization expenses for these illnesses, which can prevented through vaccination, will be more costly.) —Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News