The Department of Health (DOH) clarified that it will not impose penalties on parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.
The statement comes after DOH Undersecretary Emmie Chiong, during a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday, recommended sanctions for parents or caregivers “who consciously neglect to provide their children utmost protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Speaking in Filipino, DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa emphasized, “We will not impose any penalty.” He noted that medical contraindications sometimes prevent children from receiving certain vaccines.
“They can’t be given penalty because we believe in human rights and the parents’ beliefs if they want to vaccinate their child or not,” Herbosa added.
Herbosa also highlighted that under Republic Act No. 10152, the DOH’s role is to educate and encourage parents about the benefits of immunization.
“Our job in the DOH is to convince all parents to vaccinate their children so they are safe from vaccine-preventable diseases,” he said in Filipino.
The DOH has recently launched a supplemental immunization campaign against measles and rubella in Mindanao, targeting areas with low vaccination rates. As of February 20, around 2.3 million children in Mindanao, or 82% of the target population, have been vaccinated.
The agency aims to vaccinate approximately 11 million Filipino children under five years old against measles and rubella nationwide.
