Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa highlighted that while the Department of Health (DOH) has a vaccine supply, challenges persist in its distribution.

“Sometimes, walang bakuna ang health centers kasi wala silang cold chain, ibig sabihin ay hindi pwedeng magstore ng bakuna dito (health centers don't have vaccines because they lack a cold chain, meaning they can't store vaccines here),” he said during a press conference on Thursday, April 11.

Herbosa noted that vaccines will be delivered only when scheduled vaccinations have been arranged.

“In other words, hindi ako pwedeng magdeliver nito kung wala namang mga batang nakaschedule, nakatago lang sya sa storage (I can't deliver it if there are no children scheduled for vaccination; it's just stored in storage),” he explained.

"This is an issue that requires resolution," Herbosa stressed, underlining the necessity for enhanced coordination between the DOH and local government units (LGUs) responsible for vaccine administration.

“Kapag hindi nag-usap doon sa area, sa region, sa province, sa city, at di nag-usap ang mga health authorities ng LGU at ng DOH, pwedeng mangyari ang lack of vaccine (If there's no communication between the LGU and the DOH in an area, region, province, or city, there can be a lack of vaccine),” he said.

This communication gap has resulted in a concerning number of unvaccinated children across the Philippines, potentially worsening disease outbreaks, Herbosa said.

“Ito ang isa sa dapat maayos ko para hindi maulit ang mga outbreak na ito (This is one of the things I need to fix so that these outbreaks don't happen again,” he noted.

Routine immunization

In addition to addressing distribution challenges, Herbosa stressed the importance of routine immunization.

"Vaccination against nine diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, and pneumococcal infections, remains crucial," he asserted, noting that all these vaccines are procured and distributed by the DOH.

Herbosa urged the public to prioritize “routine vaccinations,” citing their pivotal role in safeguarding children against preventable diseases.

“Public health workers should not forget about routine immunization; tuloy-tuloy dapat ang pagbabakuna

(Vaccination should be continued),” he underscored.

“Kasi kung maraming bata ang hindi protected, dadami talaga ang mga sakit na ito (Because if many children are not protected, these diseases will indeed increase),” Herbosa noted.

Meanwhile, he reassured the public regarding the efficacy of polio, measles, and rubella vaccines despite isolated cases" of measles.

"In the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), only 50 percent received the measles and rubella vaccine, so now they have an outbreak of it," he said.

"So we see the value of vaccination. When children are not vaccinated, outbreaks occur," he added.

Explaining the concept of herd immunity, Herbosa said that widespread vaccination reduces the likelihood of disease outbreaks.