From day 1 to 9 months there is already a vaccine, why is it necessary?
This is the question of mother Sniper, not her real name when she heard that her grade 4 child would be vaccinated against HPV or Human papillomavirus, which often causes cervical cancer.
Her child is among the 74,000 students in Cordillera targeted by the Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), to be vaccinated.
“As a parent, I am okay with my child being vaccinated, but as a parent, I also understand there are parents who are against it,” said Sniper.
She said she is not opposed to vaccination, especially as it contributes greatly to children’s development, but she is concerned about its possible negative effects.
Mark shares the same sentiment.
He believes that extra caution is the true answer to avoid sickness, rather than vaccination.
“We can’t always rely on medicine because there were ancient people who lived without using medicine, without vaccines, and they lived long lives. So, what’s the difference?” Mark questioned.
But according to the DOH, vaccines are a great help, especially for children.
The result of the diphtheria vaccine, for example, speaks for itself, with only one case recorded in 2023 and one again in 2024.
According to Albert Jose Sumadchat, Senior Health Program Officer at DOH-CDH CAR, “Our vaccines have been proven safe, high-quality, and free. Every vaccinated child is protected.”
Vaccination is not mandatory, however, and parental or guardian consent is required.
“They’re now in environments where they’re no longer isolated, so what we want to ensure is that they are protected from the risks,” Sumadchat added.
Apart from HPV and diphtheria, measles vaccinations are also targeted.
Their school visits to conduct vaccinations have begun.
As the DOH began its visits this October, it is expected that the targeted 74,000 students in the region will be vaccinated by November.
**JOSE ROBERT INVENTOR
