Gordon calls for establishment of vaccine factories in PH

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Senator Richard Gordon has stressed the need to boost the country’s capability to develop its own vaccines.

Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) made the remarks following the assessment made by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that at least 2-million Filipino children below two-years old may miss out on vaccinations this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and could be vulnerable to an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease.

Gordon stressed that vaccine factories should be established in the country, noting that neighbor Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam have their own facilities.

“Wala tayong vaccine factories. Dapat may vaccine factory dito, hindi lang para sa COVID kungdi para na din sa iba pang mga sakit na sakop sa EPI (Expanded Epidemiology Program) ng DOH (Department of Health),” said Gordon.

“May dalawang milyong mga bata na most vulnerable sa vaccine preventable diseases ang posibleng naapektuhan dahil sa suspension or disruption sa routine immunization services,” he added.

The senator warned that disruption in the provision of immunization services “increases the number of susceptible individuals” in the community.

He added that the declining immunization coverage exposed children to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.

“This can lead to outbreaks of VPDs as well as VPD-related deaths, and further burden the already exhausted healthcare resources due to the rise in COVID-19 cases,” Gordon stressed.

He noted that the recent measles outbreak in the Philippines in 2019 saw a staggering 130 per cent increase in cases compared to the same period in 2018.

Last year, polio re-emerged in the country after 19 years with 17 confirmed cases and health experts fear an increase as the polio outbreak response had to be suspended due to COVID-19.

Gordon further stressed that to ensure a more efficient and effective public health care system, the Philippines should have a Center for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure better response during health crises, such as the COVID pandemic.

“Kung talagang seryoso tayo, dapat meron tayong CDC, hatiin natin ang DOH at ang mga epidemiology, ‘yun ang mga taga-hanap o magre-research tungkol sa mga sakit,” he said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)