THE NUMBERS are troubling: only 17.08% of infants in Iloilo Province were fully immunized during the first quarter of 2025 — far below the 95% target set by the Department of Health. As reported by this paper yesterday, out of 39,488 eligible infants, only 6,745 children aged 0 to 12 months received complete routine immunization. This leaves over 32,000 babies across the province unprotected from deadly but entirely preventable diseases such as measles, polio, hepatitis, pneumonia, diphtheria, and tuberculosis.
What’s even more disturbing is the root of this problem. It’s not merely a question of logistics or vaccine availability — it’s a crisis of trust, fueled by a relentless wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories circulating on social media. The Provincial Health Office has pointed to vaccine hesitancy driven by false information as the leading barrier to immunization.
Vaccine misinformation undermines public health, weakens decades of scientific progress, and threatens to reverse hard-won victories against diseases once thought nearly eradicated. When a mother in rural Pototan — where only 322 infants were immunized — scrolls past a Facebook post claiming vaccines cause infertility, or when a father in Tubungan — where only 55 infants were vaccinated — reads an anonymous post questioning vaccine safety, their decisions become clouded by fear and disinformation. The result? Vulnerable children and susceptible communities.
Disinformation is a public enemy. Combating it requires a multi-sectoral, community-based approach. Government agencies must be more aggressive in public health messaging — utilizing the very platforms where falsehoods thrive. Clear, localized, and culturally sensitive information must replace jargon-heavy advisories. Traditional media must step up as a filter against lies, giving greater visibility to expert voices and verified data.
Schools also play an important role. Health literacy must begin early, with students and parents educated about the importance of vaccines and how to critically evaluate online content. Barangay health workers, nurses, and midwives must be trained not just as immunizers, but also as credible sources of information in the communities they serve.
Local leadership is essential. In municipalities like New Lucena (42 immunized infants), San Rafael (48), and Badiangan (39), where immunization coverage is at its weakest, mayors and barangay captains must lead from the front — not just in policy, but in presence. Their voices carry weight and can counter the whisper campaigns of fear.
Other challenges — such as family migration, transportation barriers in far-flung barangays, and temporary vaccine shortages — must also be addressed. But these are logistical problems that planning can solve. Vaccine misinformation, however, is a social virus — and it must be contained before it triggers a health crisis we can no longer manage.
Disinformation thrives in silence. Authorities in Iloilo must respond with clarity, courage, and unity. If we fail to counter the lies today, we will be fighting outbreaks tomorrow.
