Revilla pushes for expansion of Mandatory Immunization Program

Sen. Bong Revilla is seeking for the expansion of the coverage of the mandatory basic immunization program to help prevent the spread of polio and other diseases.

The veteran legislator filed a bill (S. No. 662), "An Act Expanding the Coverage of the Mandatory Basic Immunization Program and Providing a System in the Determination of other types of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases," to amend the purpose of R.A. 10152, or the "Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011."

During the observance of the World Immunization Week last April, UNICEF revealed that an estimated 2.9 million Filipino children are unvaccinated, and remain vulnerable to deadly diseases such as measles, rubella and polio. While the increase of the immunization program coverage remains a challenge, Bong Revilla wants to address the insufficient list of mandatory basic immunization to completely protect the infants and children.

Once Republic Act 10152 is amended, vaccinations for Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), and Fluman Papilloma Virus (FIPV) will be included in the list of annual vaccines given by the government. The inclusion of the vaccines in the list will be very beneficial not only for the health of infants and children, but also for the mothers who can avail of it for free in any government hospital or health center.

This bill also mandates the Formulary Executive Council (FEC) and the National Immunization Committee (NIC) to make recommendations to the Secretary of Health as to other types of vaccines that should be included in the list, and to provide technical support for the National Immunization Program of the Department of Health (DOH).

Revilla also deemed the bill necessary after DOH declared a National Dengue Outbreak last month, and after two cases of polio have been recently reported.