The Department of Health (DOH) released a video featuring Rep. Angelina "Helen" D.L. Tan, MD. reminding and encouraging parents to have their kids vaccinated to be safe from measles, rubella and polio.

The representative of Quezon City’s 4th district said that in the middle of COVID 19 pandemic, the case of these contagious diseases are also rising. And, it will cause large numbers of disability and death in the future if preemptive measures will be ignored.

Supporting that vaccines are the only weapon to fight the infectious illness, Hon. Tan encouraged parents, who have children below five years old, to participate in the Phase 2 vaccine program that would run this whole month of February at the assigned health centers in Regions 3, 4A, 6, 7, 8 and National capital Region (NCR).

Measles, rubella, and polio are all contagious diseases that can be serious and fatal for babies and children.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a viral infection that starts in the respiratory system, thus, symptoms include cough and runny nose along with watery eyes and high fever. It can cause severe complications where children younger than 5 years of age are more likely to suffer and die.

On the other hand, rubella, also known as German measles, may cause mild symptoms or none at all. However, it can cause serious health problems for unborn children whose mother got infected during pregnancy. Thus, it is important that young girls should receive the vaccine to prevent rubella during future pregnancies.

Also a dangerous viral illness, polio attacks the nervous system leading to paralysis, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes death. It can spread rapidly and also more likely affects young children. During the last quarter of 2019, DOH declared that there’s polio outbreak in the Philippines.

There are still no specific cure or treatments for all the diseases mentioned, but it can be prevented with vaccines, which for years has evidence that are safe and tested.