Only R1.59 million or 39.76 percent of the 4.01 million schoolchildren were dewormed during the biannual deworming program of the government, data from the Department of Health (DoH) bared.
“Pakiusap ko lang ‘yong ating mga nanay and tatay na huwag mawalan ng tiwala sa ating ibang bakuna. Kawawa naman ang mga bata kung madapuan ng mga sakit,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III appealed anew.
Earlier, Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo expressed alarm over the effect of the Dengvaxia controversy on government’s health programs, saying that many parents are already snubbing the agency’s initiatives due to fear of vaccines.
“Our problem right now is that our health programs are suffering. Our local offices are calling us…. Even vaccination rates are suffering,” Domingo said.
Vaccination programs for preventable illnesses like polio, measles, tetanus, and diphteria are suffering, also.
“We recently had a measles outbreak in Davao. We’re trying to make up for it but the vaccination rate is very low,” Domingo disclosed. (Charina Clarisse L. Echaluce)