BY DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
Health officials in Central Visayas are urging parents to have eligible children vaccinated against measles and rubella, assuring them that the vaccine being used in the government’s 2026 supplemental immunization campaign is safe, tested and not a new vaccine.
The Department of Health Central Visayas and the Bohol Provincial Health Office gave the assurance during a press briefing Aug. 13 as the province took part in the national Ligtas Tigdas 2026 Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity.
DOH-7 Logistics Support Chief Dr. Van Philipp Baton said the measles-rubella, or MR, vaccine has been used for decades and is the same type of vaccine included in the Philippines’ routine childhood immunization program.
“MR vaccines have been used worldwide for about five decades to protect children against measles and rubella,” Baton said.
He said the vaccines used in the campaign have undergone regulatory evaluation and meet standards set by health authorities, including the World Health Organization and the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.
Bohol Provincial Health Officer Dr. Fruserma Mary Uy likewise assured parents that the vaccine is safe, tested and proven, urging them to rely on health authorities and medical professionals rather than misinformation circulating on social media.
The campaign began Aug. 10, 2026 in Dolores and targets children ages 6 to 59 months across Bohol.
The province’s target is about 100,000 children.
As of Aug. 14, the fourth day of the campaign, about 9,000 children had been vaccinated, according to the provincial health office. That represents about 9% of the stated 100,000 target.
The supplemental campaign is intended to close gaps in routine immunization and raise population immunity against measles and rubella.
Health authorities are targeting at least 95% vaccination coverage, a level the WHO identifies as important for preventing sustained transmission of measles and protecting communities through high population immunity.
Why MR vaccination matters
Measles is among the world’s most contagious infectious diseases and can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, severe diarrhea, blindness and encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain.
The disease can also be fatal, particularly among young children who are malnourished or otherwise vulnerable.
Rubella is generally milder in children, but infection during pregnancy can have devastating consequences for an unborn child.
WHO estimates that a woman infected with rubella early in pregnancy has a 90% chance of transmitting the virus to her fetus, potentially causing congenital rubella syndrome, which can result in hearing impairment, eye and heart defects and developmental problems.
The MR vaccine uses weakened, or live attenuated, versions of the measles and rubella viruses to stimulate immunity.
WHO says measles vaccines have been in use since the 1960s and are considered safe and effective.
Two doses of a measles-containing vaccine provide about 97% protection against measles.
Like other vaccines, MR vaccination can cause side effects, but these are generally mild and temporary.
WHO lists possible reactions such as pain or redness at the injection site, low-grade fever, rash and muscle aches. Serious reactions are extremely rare.
WHO also says vaccines undergo rigorous testing before introduction and that their safety continues to be monitored after deployment through national and international surveillance systems.
Baton and Uy appealed to parents to make vaccination decisions based on scientific evidence and reliable medical information.