Legazpi: This city has surpassed the Department of Health (DOH) 95-percent coverage target for the 2026 Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR SIA), recording a 97.27-percent accomplishment rate as of Aug. 20. The city launched its 'Ligtas Tigdas' (measles-safe) vaccination campaign on Aug. 10, targeting children aged 6 to 59 months, while those aged 9 and 12 months may also receive the rubella vaccine. With the MR SIA running until Aug. 28, the City Health Office (CHO) is continuing its vaccination and mop-up to reach children who have yet to receive the vaccines.
According to Philippines News Agency, CHO head Dr. Francis Gerald Gomez said surpassing the 95-percent mark is significant in strengthening community protection against measles and rubella, but the city is still aiming to vaccinate all eligible children. 'We are still moving, aiming to reach 100 percent as our target,' Gomez said in an interview Friday. Gomez attributed the high coverage to the cooperation of the city's 70 villages and various stakeholders, Department of Education (DepEd), and business community.
He said the active participation of community officials helped mobilize barangay health workers (BHWs), promoted the campaign, and encouraged parents to have their eligible children vaccinated. 'If a barangay captain does not really act and mobilize the BHWs in their community, it would be difficult for us to achieve high vaccination coverage in their area,' Gomez said. During the first week, the CHO established fixed vaccination venues in all villages to make the service more accessible to eligible children.
'We already have a list of all eligible children, so we are now looking for those who have not yet been vaccinated,' Gomez said. He mentioned geographic accessibility and vaccine hesitancy as reasons some eligible children have yet to receive the protection. 'Vaccination is voluntary. It is not forced. One reason is geographic location. If the houses are far, parents may have difficulty accessing the vaccination sites,' he said. Gomez also noted the influence of misinformation and anti-vaccine content on social media, saying some parents initially hesitated to have their children vaccinated because of what they read online. 'Fake news and anti-vaccine posts on social media still have an effect in the community,' he said.
Despite the challenges, Gomez said the city's high vaccination coverage provides stronger community protection against measles and rubella. So far, Legazpi City has no measles case this year. He said sustaining high routine immunization coverage would help reduce the need for supplemental vaccination activities in the future.
