Robredo assures parents: Measles vaccine is safe
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday appealed to parents to have their children immunized against measles and assured that the vaccine is safe as it has been tested time and time again.
Robredo made the appeal after the Department of Health (DOH) declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila and in other regions in Luzon and Visayas.
“Sa lahat ng mga magulang na nakikinig sa atin ngayon, nanawagan po ako sa inyo na bigyang pansin sa lalong madaling panahon ang pagpapabakuna ng ating mga anak at ng buong pamilya laban sa tigdas. Buhay at kaligtasan ng ating mga mahal sa buhay ang nakasalalay,” she said in a video message uploaded on YouTube.
(I appeal to parents to have their children vaccinated against measles because their life and safety are at stake here.)
“Subok na ng mahabang panahon ang bisa ng mga bakunang ito, at walang dahilan para hindi ito gumana kung kailan natin pinakakailangan,” she added.
(The anti-measles vaccine has been tried and tested for years and there is no reason for us not to take advantage of it.)
READ: Measles outbreak in Metro Manila — DOH
READ: DOH: 55 children dead in Metro Manila measles outbreak
READ: DOH raises measles ‘red flag’ in more regions after NCR outbreak
“Magtulungan po tayo na muling bumalik ang tiwala ng publiko sa wastong pagbabakuna, upang hindi magkaroon ng mas malawakang outbreak ang tigdas at iba pang nakahahawang sakit,” Robredo asked.
(Let us all help in bringing back public trust and confidence in vaccines so as not to worsen the measles outbreak and start a outbreak of other illnesses.)
On December 2017, pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur withdrew Dengvaxia — the dengue vaccine procured by the previous administration — after studies showed that it might have dire effects on seronegative patients or those who have not been diagnosed with dengue prior to immunization.
Soon after, public officials including Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta and its forensic department publicized suspected incidents where children who have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia perished due to severe dengue.
Several netizens have blamed Acosta for the measles outbreak, as DOH admitted several times that the reaction to the Dengvaxia issue cast doubts on the vaccination program.
READ: Dengvaxia scare a factor in measles outbreak—DOH
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, defended Acosta, saying that she was just doing her job. /gsg
