WESTERN Visayas is standing on a ticking time bomb. Measles is already circulating in the region, and yet the vaccination campaign designed to protect our children is bogged down by hesitancy, misplaced fears, and endless delays, as reported by this paper over the weekend. Every unsigned parental consent form, every day of wavering, is an open invitation for the virus to spread — and spread it will.
Measles is not a “mild” childhood illness. It is one of the most contagious viruses on earth, capable of infecting nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to it. What starts as fever, cough, and rashes can escalate into pneumonia, brain inflammation, or death. It tears through classrooms, homes, and entire communities with ruthless efficiency. And the conditions for an outbreak in Western Visayas are already in place: vaccination gaps, crowded schools, and communities battered by repeated typhoons that disrupt health campaigns.
The stakes are enormous. The Department of Health’s (DOH) school-based immunization drive targets more than 185,000 learners in the region, with Iloilo Province alone accounting for nearly 80,000. That is 80,000 chances for measles to find a host if parents continue to withhold consent. Each unvaccinated child is not only at risk but also a potential carrier who can endanger classmates, siblings, and neighbors. The virus thrives on hesitation.
We have been here before. In 2019, the Philippines suffered a measles outbreak. That crisis was not born of ignorance but of fear, mistrust, and misinformation — the very same forces slowing down the immunization drive today. Must Western Visayas learn the lesson the hard way once again, with fresh graves as proof?
The science is not in dispute. Vaccines are safe, effective, and free. They have been vetted by the Food and Drug Administration, endorsed by the World Health Organization, and proven over decades. The so-called “side effects” parents fear are nothing more than signs that the immune system is building protection. To reject this protection is not caution — it is negligence masquerading as care.
Government agencies cannot afford business as usual. DOH and the Department of Education must step up their coordination, making vaccination a priority in every school calendar and community activity. Local government units must mobilize barangay health workers to reach hesitant parents directly, face-to-face, with facts instead of rumors. If schools drag their feet, let health centers and LGUs bring the campaign to homes. Inaction is not an option.
Parents, too, must confront reality. Immunization is not only a personal choice — it is a civic duty. When you delay, you gamble not only with your own child’s life but also with the safety of every child around them. In a community, your decision has consequences far beyond your household.
Western Visayas has endured storms, floods, and disasters that no one can control. But measles is different. This is one storm we can prevent. The vaccine is available, the cost is free, and the only obstacle left is hesitation. If we fail to act, it will not be nature but our own indecision that fills hospital wards with sick children.
