Lawmaker bats for proposed Mandatory Immunization Program Act

( AFP file photo))

MANILA, Philippines — Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has appealed to his colleagues at the House of Representatives to pass a bill that would create a new mandatory immunization plan for Filipinos, and expand the list of free vaccines given to people of different age brackets.

Yamsuan on Monday said the passage and possible enactment of House Bill (HB) No. 1092 or the proposed Mandatory Immunization Program Act will ensure that the country is prepared for possible outbreaks of disease that can be avoided through vaccination.

The bill was filed by Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte, Camarines Sur 5th District Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte and Camarines Sur 1st District Rep. Tsuyoshi Horibata last July 2022, and has been pending under the House of Representatives’ committee on rules.

“The emergence of more vaccine-preventable diseases underscore the need to expand the list of the government’s mandatory immunization program for infants, children, and  other Filipinos in all life stages. Dapat ay maging proactive tayo at laging handa sa halip na maging reactive lang ang aksyon pagdating sa kalusugan, lalo na ng ating mga anak,” Yamsuan, who co-authored HB No. 1092. 

(We should be proactive and always be prepared instead of just being reactive when it comes to the issue of  health, especially of our children.)

Yamsuan said he is pushing for this bill’s passage along with a proposal for free annual medical checkups for all Filipinos (HB No. 1785), after data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that Filipinos still spend out-of-pocket money for healthcare.

Under the bill, the following vaccines will be included in the list of the government’s free immunization program:

• pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
• immunization from the rotavirus, Japanese encephalitis, human papilloma virus (HPV)
• boosters for measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria

The bill also allows the health secretary to determine other types of vaccines that may be included, recommendation of Congress and a group that will be created —  the National Immunization Technical and Advisory Group (NITAG), which will be composed of experts from various health-related fields.

The proposal seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 10152, where the mandatory basic immunization services are limited to only tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, Rubella or German measles, Hepatitis-B and H. Influenza type B — which only cover infants and children.

“Kapag tayo ay nag-invest sa preventive healthcare tulad ng pagbibigay ng libreng bakuna at free medical checkups, maiiwasan ang mas malaking gastusin  sa pagpapagamot na siyang nagbibigay ng problema, stress at kawalan ng pag-asa sa maraming Pilipino,” Yamsuan said.

(If we invest in preventive healthcare such as providing free vaccines and free medical checkups, we can avert  incurring bigger medical expenses that bring problems, stress and feelings of hopelessness to many Filipinos.) With reports from Arianne Denisse Cagsawa, trainee