Number of ‘zero-dose’ Pinoy kids down in 2023
The number of children in the Philippines who went unvaccinated in 2023 has dropped compared to 2022, according to a study published on Wednesday in The Lancet medical journal.
Based on data from the major new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study Vaccine Coverage Collaborators, the number of “zero-dose” Filipino children aged one year and below in 2023 was estimated at 85,907, down 47 percent from 163,000 in 2022.
The Philippines, however, remains among the top countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children at 36th place. From 2020 to 2022, the country was ranked 5th worldwide with one million zero-dose kids.
In 2023, out of 204 countries, it posted the 75th highest vaccination coverage at 96 percent among 2.2 million children younger than one year.
The study defines zero-dose children as those who received no doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine in their first year of life.
Under the Department of Health’s national immunization program, the DTaP vaccine is administered for free in public health centers as part of the pentavalent vaccine, which also protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B.
Improvements needed
The high immunization coverage in the Philippines, however, does not reflect the global scenario, with the authors saying latest estimates should be taken as a clear warning that global immunization targets for 2030 will not be met without “transformational improvements in equity.”
“Despite the monumental efforts of the past 50 years, progress has been far from universal. Large numbers of children remain under- and unvaccinated,” said senior study author Dr. Jonathan Mosser from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington.
“Routine childhood vaccinations are among the most powerful and cost-effective public health interventions available, but persistent global inequalities, challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growth of vaccine misinformation and hesitancy have all contributed to faltering immunization progress. These trends increase the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases…, underscoring the critical need for targeted improvements to ensure that all children can benefit from lifesaving immunizations,” he added.
