Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano urged Filipino families to remain vigilant about the spread of measles in their communities, even after measles cases have started to drop in the past weeks.
The Department of Health (DOH) recently reported that there is already a downward trend in the number of new measles cases in the country, owing to the agency’s intensified immunization campaign.
The principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 10152 or the Mandatory Infants and Children Immunization Act, Cayetano commended the efforts of the DOH, local officials, and barangay health workers on the ground in convincing Filipino parents to have their children vaccinated.
On the other hand, she stressed that there is still no room for complacency when it comes to protecting the children from diseases.
“We are very delighted by DOH’s report that measles cases in the country are already decreasing. But everyone should continue to be vigilant, ready, and non-complacent,” she said in a radio interview in Butuan City.
“Kailangan bumalik nang tuluyan ang kumpyansa sa bakuna. Dahil hindi lang tigdas ang maaaring maging panganib sa buhay ng mga anak natin, marami pang ibang delikadong sakit na pwede namang iwasan sa tulong ng bakuna,” she added.
Cayetano has long been fighting for the promotion of preventive healthcare measures for Filipino families as a way to save them from premature deaths and unnecessary illnesses.
“During my first term in the Senate, I decided to fight for laws that sought to protect children from various diseases, because I do not want to see any child dying despite the presence of preventive measures and solutions like vaccines,” she said.
Even before news broke out regarding the outbreak of measles in several provinces, Cayetano had been going around the country convincing Filipino families to restore their trust in vaccines.
In February, she had led an immunization drive for young children at the Rural Health Unit 3 of Barangay Mabiga in Mabalacat, Pampanga.#
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