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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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February 6, 2018
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MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) was urged to use its P634-million advertising budget to fight false claims about the dangers of vaccines.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Monday the Health department’s “advertising war chest” is big enough “to calm” concerns over vaccine safety.
“Science must trump superstition,” Recto said as he directed the department to launch an information drive to educate the public on the benefits of vaccines.
Medical experts had warned that the issue on the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia could trigger a “vaccine backlash” that would put millions of people at risk for illness, the senator said.
According to Recto, the government is buying P7.4 billion worth of vaccines this year “in quantities that will benefit millions.”
“Whether we like it or not, one side effect of this Dengvaxia controversy is that people are asking if the vaccines to be bought using taxpayers’ money are safe,” he said.
“I know that they ought to be but the DOH must still go out of its way to assure the public that vaccines meet the highest standards.”
According to Recto, the Philippines will have to shell out P7.43 billion for its public vaccination programs this year to achieve the full immunization coverage of 2.7 million infants.
Full immunization for infants cover inoculations against hepatitis, polio, pneumonia, measles, mumps, and rubella, the DOH said.
“Mayroon ngang balita na pati deworming ay kinakatakutan ng ilang nanay,” said Recto. “Itong ganitong mga maling akala ang dapat labanan gamit ang katotohanan.”/PN
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