‘FACTS OVER FEAR’: Iloilo pushes free measles vaccines, urges parents to trust science

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is urging parents to trust science over misinformation as the province prepares to roll out its Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR SIA) from Aug. 10 to 28, assuring the public that the vaccines are safe and effective.

The appeal comes as vaccine hesitancy continues to surface online.

A previous Daily Guardian report on the upcoming MR SIA generated mixed reactions on social media.

While many readers supported the campaign, others questioned vaccine safety.

Some cited claims linking vaccines to autism, neurological disorders, and COVID-19-related illnesses.

Those claims have been repeatedly disproven. The 1998 paper that first linked the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to autism was retracted by the journal that published it, and its lead author was struck off the medical register in Britain.

In a statement, IPHO chief Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon urged parents to rely on credible medical information when deciding whether to have their children vaccinated.

“Immunization is more than a medical intervention. It is a basic human right. Every child has a right to grow up healthy, protected, and given the best chance to reach their dreams,” Quiñon said.

She said children depend on adults to make informed decisions that protect their health.

Drawing from personal experience, Quiñon said she had her own children vaccinated during a previous MR SIA because she trusted the same vaccines being offered by the government.

“If I didn’t believe these vaccines are safe, I would never have allowed my own children to receive them,” she said.

The health official acknowledged that many parents have encountered misleading claims on social media and from individuals opposed to vaccination, and she urged the public to seek information from qualified health professionals instead.

“Rumors spread quickly, especially when they create fear. That fear should never be louder than science when it comes to our child’s health. Please listen to our health professionals—the doctors, nurses, midwives, and other health workers who have devoted their lives to protecting children,” she said.

Quiñon said vaccines undergo years of scientific research, clinical trials, and strict safety monitoring before they are approved for public use and included in the National Immunization Program.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, diarrhea, brain infection, permanent disability, and death, particularly among young children.

Rubella is generally a mild viral illness, but infection during pregnancy can cause congenital rubella syndrome, which may result in severe birth defects.

Health authorities promote widespread immunization to protect both children and pregnant women by reducing virus transmission within communities.

Quiñon also emphasized that every vaccinated child helps protect infants who are still too young to receive the vaccine, as well as children with medical conditions that prevent them from being immunized.

From Jan. 4 to Aug. 1, the Iloilo Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit recorded 43 measles-rubella cases in the province.

The figure is 78.1% lower than the 196 cases reported during the same period in 2025.

To further reduce infections and prevent outbreaks, the province aims to vaccinate 172,360 children ages 6 to 59 months during the upcoming MR SIA.

The World Health Organization recommends at least 95% coverage with two doses of measles-containing vaccine to interrupt transmission in a community.

Among local government units, Passi City has the highest target with 7,919 eligible children.

It is followed by Oton with 7,673, Carles with 7,336, Lambunao with 6,982, and Pototan with 6,562.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring eligible children to the nearest health center, fixed vaccination site, or temporary vaccination post in their barangays.

The measles-rubella vaccine will be administered free of charge regardless of a child’s previous immunization status.

The health office assured the public that health workers participating in the campaign have been trained to monitor and promptly manage any adverse events following immunization.

The province formally launched the campaign through a ceremonial vaccination on Aug. 3.

The MR SIA is part of the Department of Health Ligtas Tigdas program, which seeks to increase immunity among children and prevent measles and rubella outbreaks by reaching those who may have missed routine immunization.

The Department of Health conducts supplemental immunization activities nationwide to close immunity gaps and reduce the risk of outbreaks, particularly in areas where routine childhood vaccination coverage has declined.

Routine immunization coverage in the Philippines fell after the 2017 controversy over the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, and the country recorded a major measles outbreak two years later that killed hundreds of people, most of them children.

“Choose protection over fear, choose facts over rumors, choose science over misinformation. Most importantly, choose your child’s future,” Quiñon stressed.