DILG’s Diño orders barangay chiefs to lead vaccination drive

DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño. INQUIRER FILE

MANILA, Philippines – Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño on Monday said he ordered barangay chairpersons to lead the vaccination campaign in their communities amid the rising number of measles cases in the country.

On March 1, the Department of Health (DOH) said over 13,000 persons had contracted measles in less than two months with 215 reported deaths.

READ: Measles outbreak: 215 deaths, over 13K affected from Jan 1 to Feb 26 – DOH

“Inuutusan ko ang lahat ng barangay captains sa buong Pilipinas na pangunahan ang kampanya para sa bakuna,” Diño, who is the undersecretary for barangay affairs, said in an interview over RadyoINQUIRER.

“Pag lumala ang epidemya sa inyong barangay, ang unang sasakit ang ulo, si kapitan. Kaya mas mabuti yung preventive,” he added.

Diño added that barangay officials should encourage mothers to have their children vaccinated.

“Kayo ang mangunguna. Dapat lahat ng sulok ng barangay ninyo ay puntahan n’yo ang mga nanay para pabakunahan nila ang mga anak nila,” he said.

The DOH declared a measles outbreak after hundreds of children contracted the disease in Metro Manila and parts of Central Luzon and Central Visayas.

READ: Measles outbreak in Metro Manila — DOH

READ: Measles outbreaks in 4 more regions

The health agency said the measles outbreak in parts of the country could be attributed to vaccine hesitancy among the public.

“The causes of measles outbreak involved a number of factors or elements. Loss of public confidence and trust in vaccines in the immunization program brought about by the Dengvaxia controversy has been documented as one of many factors that contributed to vaccine hesitancy in the country,” the DOH said in a statement. /cbb

READ: DOH: Over 4K measles cases, 70 deaths in Philippines

READ: DOJ indicts ex-DOH chief Garin, et al. for Dengvaxia ‘mess’