Anak Kalusugan Rep. Rey Reyes said that the government earmarked more than P8.26 billion to bankroll the aggressive implementation of the government’s immunization program across the life stages next year to contribute in the overall efforts to spare the Filipinos from contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses during their life course.
Reyes stated that the budget earmarked for the government’s immunization program next year is actually more than 15 percent more than the P7 billion that had been allocated for the same purpose under this year’s annual budget.
Rep. Reyes was one of the speakers during the recently concluded Seminar Workshop on Injecting Hope Catch Up Vaccination and Life-Course Immunization spearheaded by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) in partnership with Pfizer Philippines, Pharmaceutical and Health Care Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations and the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, Inc.
He claimed that it is important that there is a significant increase in the funds being earmarked to strengthen the implementation of the government’s immunization program across the life stages and achieve the targeted 95 percent of Filipinos vaccinated for herd immunity.
The lawmaker underscored the importance of every Filipino being vaccinated with the prescribed vaccines in the life stages because it will spare them from contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses that might compromise their health.
According to him, the increase in the funds being allocated to sustain the implementation of the government’s immunization program across the life stages for people to acquire the prescribed vaccines from birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and the elderly because vaccines should be inoculated during the life course.
Earlier, the government embarked on the mandate of the World Health Organization (WHO) to catch up, restore and strengthen the immunization program in the next two years to be able to reach the targeted 95 percent immunization rate which had been significantly jeopardized by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years that prevented governments worldwide from sustaining the implementation of the vaccination of their populations.
For his part, Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag pointed out the need for media to contribute in providing the Filipinos with the right information on the available vaccines during their life stages to help in realizing the desired 95 percent herd immunity to allow people to understand and internalize the importance of being vaccinated so that they will willingly allow themselves to be vaccinated with the available vaccines being provided for free in the different health centers around the country.
The health official explained that vaccines are for everyone and that they can guarantee the safety of people exposed to vaccine-preventable illnesses and that they should avail of the said vaccines for their own health and safety for them to remain productive. By Dexter A. See