LGUs, health experts call to strengthen maternal, child immunization in PH

Local government unit (LGU) leaders and healthcare experts are calling to strengthen maternal and child immunization amid the persistence of vaccine-preventable diseases in the Philippines.

This includes support for local immunization efforts, such as ensuring adequate vaccine supply, sustainable funding, and broader stakeholder participation.

The LGUs and health experts made the call during the Vaccine Initiative for Sustainable and Impactful Outcomes Nationwide (VISION) 2026 Summit in Pasay City, which was hosted by the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV).

Health leaders also highlighted the resurgence of pertussis in the Philippines, with more than 4,500 cases recorded in 2024.

They pointed out that infants below six months old were especially vulnerable to severe infection and related complications.

“Maternal vaccination during pregnancy offers the miracle of protecting two lives with one shot, protecting newborns against future outbreaks of whooping cough even before they qualify to get vaccines of their own,” said Dr. Erwin De Mesa, an obstetric and gynecologic infectious disease specialist.

Similar policy developments, such as the Health Technology Assessment Council’s positive recommendation for Japanese encephalitis vaccination and its inclusion in the Philippine National Formulary, encouraged participants to support expanding local immunization programs against this mosquito-borne disease, which remains a public health concern in rural and urban areas with farms, pig rearing, heavy rainfall, and flooding.

“The rule of thirds applies to Japanese encephalitis, where among those affected, one-third recover, one-third develop severe neurologic complications, and one-third may die from the disease,” Dr. Anna Ong-Lim, pediatric infectious disease specialist, said.

“Immunization is not just about administering vaccines. It is about working together to make vaccines available, accessible, and acceptable to all,” said PFV President Patricia Gomez.

According to the World Health Organization, Japanese encephalitis is a virus from infected arthropods, that include mosquitoes and ticks.

Those infected experience mild fever and headache or no apparent symptoms, but approximately 1 in 250 infections results in severe clinical illness. —RF, GMA News