The Department of Health re-shared its old campaign videos on vaccination following the measles outbreak caused by the drop of immunization rates in Metro Manila and surrounding regions.
There are four videos featuring the “Bakuna Boys” singing to songs with witty titles “Baby Come BAK,” “Limang Bisita,” and “May BAKuna Para Dyan.”
In each video, members of the male group encourage mothers to avail of free vaccination programs in local health centers.
Watch each video here:
DOH re-shared the one titled “May BAKuna Para D’yan” on February 15 as part of its information campaign to counter the vaccine scare. It used the original campaign hashtag #BacktoBAKuna
Protektahan si baby laban sa mga sakit – may bakuna para diyan!
Ang bakuna ang pinakaepektibong paraan para labanan ang iba't ibang mga sakit 💉
Abangan ang mga taga bakuna o pumunta sa pinakamalapit na health center para sa inyong bakuna! pic.twitter.com/HzuWyaIMUe
— Department of Health (@officialdohgov) February 15, 2019
DOH first shared the videos on social media in April 2017. Leading the agency that year was former health secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial, who is now among the health officials implicated in the Dengvaxia controversy which hounded DOH since 2016.
“Inihahandog ng DOH ang #BackToBAKuna, ang bagong kampanya para makumpleto ni baby ang kanyang vaccines! Sa kumpletong bakuna, may tiwala tayo sa proteksyon ni baby laban sa malulubhang sakit,” the health agency said.
The vaccine the agency is promoting that time is the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV vaccine to protect children against pneumococcal infections such as pneumonia and meningitis.
Vaccine trust returning
The health agency observed in their inspections around Baseco Compound, Payatas and in some parts of Quezon City that more children are now being brought to local health centers for free immunization.
“I am happy that parents are now having a change of view on the DOH’s immunization program. What we are seeing now is very different from what we saw (in the past) when people hardly went to health centers for vaccination,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
There are now 70 measles-related deaths, according to data from the agency.
Duque assured the public that there is an ample supply of vaccines for the public given the low rate in 2018.
A measles outbreak is currently declared in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Western and Central Visayas. DOH is still monitoring the number of cases in other regions.
There was also an outbreak last year in Central Visayas where cases of measles surged to 559 percent.
Duque accused Atty. Persida Acosta of the Public Attorney’s Office of perpetuating the fear against vaccines among Filipinos.
Due to the supposed deaths of children vaccinated with the anti-dengue vaccine, PAO condemned the health agency for implementing the Dengvaxia program in the first place.
Acosta and her team, despite being a law firm, alleged that the deaths of the children are attributed to being injected with the anti-dengue vaccine.
