MORE THAN a once-a-year health initiative, Iloilo Province’s School-Based Immunization (SBI) Program is a safeguard against the persistent threat of preventable diseases that continue to endanger children’s lives and disrupt education. The recent rollout in the municipality of Bingawan, where Grade 7 students were immunized against measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria, illustrates how vaccines remain one of the most cost-effective and powerful public health tools available. But the real challenge is not in launching such campaigns — it is in sustaining them.
Too often, immunization drives are treated as one-off events. A month of vaccinations here, a round of boosters there, followed by long gaps where momentum fades and attention shifts elsewhere. Yet viruses do not follow schedules. Measles, rubella, and even HPV continue to lurk, waiting for cracks in the armor of public health. A lapse in coverage — even briefly — can open the door to outbreaks that undo years of progress. For Iloilo, where the provincial government and health offices have worked hard to reach learners across schools, continuity is just as important as coverage.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored this lesson with brutal clarity. For months, routine immunization was disrupted, and health systems were overwhelmed. Communities that had once thought of measles or diphtheria as “diseases of the past” saw them reemerge as threats. The pandemic taught us that resilience is not built overnight — it is the product of consistent, year-round investments in vaccination, surveillance, and public education. Iloilo’s SBI campaign should therefore be viewed not as an isolated effort but as part of a broader shield against both familiar diseases and those yet to come.
Local governments, schools, and health units must be prepared to integrate immunization into their long-term strategies. This means steady funding, continuous training for health workers, and sustained information campaigns to counter misinformation. It also means forging stronger ties between schools and health centers, so that children do not miss vaccines simply because of logistical barriers or parental uncertainty. Bingawan’s example — where parents, teachers, and the local health team worked seamlessly together — must be replicated across the province.
Most importantly, consistency builds confidence. When families see that immunization is not a sporadic program but a permanent and reliable service, they are more likely to trust and participate. By institutionalizing routine vaccination, Iloilo can ensure that today’s learners grow into tomorrow’s healthy workforce, unburdened by diseases that should no longer claim young lives.
Immunization is not a seasonal campaign — it is a continuing covenant with public health. If Iloilo sustains this momentum, it will not only shield its children from preventable diseases but also strengthen its defenses for the next health crisis. The best time to prepare for the next pandemic is now, by refusing to let preventable illnesses make a comeback.
