28 September 2019 * Phillaw * Atty Jenn * The mandatory basic immunization under RA 10152 covers measles and

other vaccine-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis; diphtheria,

Group 1 tetanus and pertussis; poliomyelitis; mumps; rubella or german measles;
hepatitis-B, and H. influenza type B or HIB.
Dimaculangan, M.
Evangelista, C.
Aggressive information drive
Galicia, K.
Following the President’s directive, Secretary Martin Andanar of the
Lacson, G. Presidential Communications Operations Office said the PCOO would work
Orense, C. with the Department of Health (DOH) in crafting a plan for the information
Paombong, J. campaign.

Social issue: Outbreaks; Immunization “We will assist Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in formulating their
Can be address by a law? Yes communications plan to promote the government’s immunization
What to do? To amend RA 10152 with a penalty (penal provision) program,” Andanar said.
and to strictly implement it (IRR).
The DOH said about two million children are at risk of contracting these
diseases due to low vaccination rate in the last two years.
Mandatory immunization ordered
(The Philippine Star) - February 10, 2019 - 12:00am
Andanar directed government media stations such as the PTV-4,
MANILA, Philippines — In response to the measles outbreak, the
Presidential Broadcast Service, Philippine News Agency, Philippine
government will exert all efforts to ensure that Republic Act 10152 or the
Information Agency and Radio Television Malacañang to assist the DOH.
Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011 is
properly implemented, Malacañang said yesterday.
“The communications’ plan is on top of the full access to use the PTV, PBS,
PNA, PIA, RTVM and the Presidential Communications we are giving
“The Duterte administration recognizes that this is a public health issue
Secretary Duque and the DOH,” Andanar said.
that needs to be urgently addressed, which is why we are focused on
ensuring that the provisions of RA 10152 are properly implemented,”
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Duque attributed the low vaccination
Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Nograles said yesterday.
rate to the scare caused by the Dengvaxia controvery.

Nograles cited Section 3 of the law, which mandates the government to

Nograles said the directive for the DOH to step up the information drive is
provide immunization for free at any government hospital or health center
consistent with Section 4 of the immunization law, which mandates the
to infants and children up to five years old.
government, non-government organizations, professional and academic
societies and local government units to distribute appropriate information
materials to the public.
“So, it is clear in the law that we need to mobilize the entire government
machinery as well as our partners in the health sector in informing the
public that immunization is provided for free by the government, that it is
safe and needed to protect the children,” Nograles said.
“This is the only way to address the current measles outbreak, abate its
spread in more areas and prevent the occurrence of another one in the
future,” he added.
No penal provision
Nograles said the government could neither force parents to have their
children vaccinated nor punish them if they have not.
“RA 10152 does not have any penal provisions and does not punish
parents who do not have their children vaccinated, unlike the PD
(presidential decree) it replaced. Under PD 996, it was the duty of parents
or those having custody of the child to see to it that the child is
immunized. Those who did not could be punished with a P200 fine or one
month imprisonment,” he said.
The government does not need to resort to extreme measures to address
the measles outbreak, Nograles said.
He said local government units play a very critical role in the
implementation of the program, down to the grassroots level.
Alarmed
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) along with Filipino
pediatricians as well as experts on infectious diseases have expressed
alarm over the measles outbreak in the country.
“Reported incidences of death and illnesses in children from the vaccine-
preventable disease is unacceptable,” the UNICEF said, citing reports that
over 20,000 measles cases were recorded as of December 2018.
The figure represents a 500 percent increase compared to last year’s data.
UNICEF Philippines deputy representative Julia Rees said the country is
among the top 10 nations with the highest incidence of measles, along
with Nigeria, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, from May
2017 to April 2018.
It is estimated that 2.5 million Filipino children aged five and below who
did not receive the vaccine for measles remain at risk of getting the
disease.
The UNICEF said while measles is a serious and highly contagious disease, it
can be prevented by vaccination.
Rees said that “population immunity can be achieved by 95 percent or
higher coverage and outbreaks prevented.”
“Unfortunately in the Philippines, the coverage for routine immunizations
is only 55 percent, despite the fact that anti-measles vaccine is available
free in government facilities,” Rees said, adding that the measles vaccine is
safe and effective and had been successfully used in the Philippines for
more than 40 years.
She said measles in children is deadly and can cause long-term
complications and disabilities, which can seriously impede their
development and potentials.
“I urge parents and communities to take their children to the health center Negros Occidental had the most number of measles cases in the region last
to be immunized,” Rees said. month.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), the Pediatric Infectious
DIsease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) and the Philippines Society for
Microbiology and Infectious Disease Inc. (PSMID) have drummed up the
need to curb the measles outbreak.
In separate statements, the groups highlighted the importance of
immunizing eligible children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Tumimbang said the surge begun in August, from relatively low numbers in
the first half of 2018.
There were 370 measles cases in Negros Occidental in 2018 or an increase
of 1,380 percent from the 25 cases posted 2017, he said.
Tumimbang urged mothers to have their children vaccinated for measles.

The PPS and PIDSP have asked their members to help spread information Health workers and teachers were urged to help explain to parents the
that vaccines are safe and highly effective and can reduce morbidity and importance of having children protected from measles by having them
mortality against infectious diseases. vaccinated. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Gilbert Bayoran

The PSMID said that pregnant women and patients with low immunity
could not receive live virus vaccines like MMR or mumps-measles and Read more at
rubella. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/10/1892465/mandatory-
immunization-ordered#B35pdBfQfy1T5KtG.99
Negros measles cases up
Measles cases in Negros Occidental increased by 3,333 percent in January
this year compared to the same period last year.

Provincial health officer Ernell Tumimbang blamed the increase on the

Dengvaxia controversy that has scared parents from having their children
vaccinated.

The DOH has declared a measles outbreak in Western Visayas, including

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, along with other areas in the Visayas
and Luzon.

Tumimbang said that measles cases in Negros Occidental from Jan. 1 to 26

rose to 103 from three in the same period last year.
In SINGAPORE..
Source: https://www.nir.hpb.gov.sg/nirp/eservices/parentalfaq

FAQ - All about Laws & Regulations in Immunisation

Q1. Is there a penalty for not vaccinating my child against Measles?
Vaccination against Measles is the requirement of the law. To quote the
Infectious Disease (Diphtheria and Measles vaccination) Regulations of the
Infectious Diseases Act:

"The parent or guardian of every child born in Singapore shall take or cause
the child to be taken to a medical practitioner to be vaccinated against
measles when the child is between one year and two years of age....

If the child is born outside Singapore, but the parent or guardian cannot
produce any documentary evidence to show that the child has either
previously contracted measles or has been vaccinated against measles, the
parent or guardian of the child shall take or cause the child to be taken to a
medical practitioner to be vaccinated against measles within 12 months
after the arrival of the child in Singapore."

This is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.

Under the Infectious Diseases Act and the Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria
and Measles Vaccination) Regulations, it is compulsory for parents and
guardians to have their child vaccinated against measles. The penalty for
non-compliance is a fine of up to $500 for the first offence and up to
$1,000 for the second or subsequent offence.

Our strategy is to work with parents to have every child vaccinated on

time.