Tacloban city: The Department of Health (DOH) has intensified its call to strengthen routine immunization efforts in Eastern Visayas, where only 62 percent of children were fully vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases last year.
According to Philippines News Agency, DOH Eastern Visayas National Immunization Program (NIP) coordinator Chiradee Claridad highlighted at a Thursday press briefing that the remaining 38 percent of children represent a growing number of 'zero-dose' and under-immunized individuals who continue to miss essential health services. Claridad emphasized the struggle to meet the 95-percent coverage target necessary for establishing herd immunity and protecting communities from disease outbreaks.
Health officials have attributed the shortfall to a combination of systemic and behavioral challenges. These include poor health-seeking behavior among some families, vaccine hesitancy, missed vaccination opportunities during health visits, and difficulties in reaching geographically isolated communities.
The immunization program aims to prevent diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, and hepatitis B. During the April 24, 2026 launch, 2,529 children across the region were vaccinated, including 194 who were fully immunized. This year, the health department targets administering vaccines to 101,678 children in Eastern Visayas aged 0 to 12 months.
The campaign faces logistical constraints, weak tracking and monitoring systems, and shortages of human resources, hindering efforts to reach all eligible children. The NIP, formerly known as the Expanded Program on Immunization, is the DOH's flagship initiative, offering free routine vaccines to protect children from preventable diseases and reduce illness and deaths.
Despite persistent challenges, Claridad affirmed the government's commitment to improve vaccine coverage, stating that immunization is a non-negotiable priority focus of the current administration. Immunization stands among the DOH's eight priority health programs, alongside nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, maternal health, tuberculosis and HIV control, road safety, and the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and cancer.
