Article by:
Ma. Teresa Montemayor
MANILA – The Department of Health on Thursday clarified that it will not impose penalties on parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, emphasizing that proper education remains the government’s approach to increasing immunization coverage.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the agency’s priority is to inform and educate parents about the benefits of vaccines.
“Kailangan i-inform at i-educate ang mga magulang tungkol sa benepisyo ng mga bakuna. So inuulit natin, wala po tayong i-impose na penalty (Parents need to be informed and educated about the benefits of vaccines. So we reiterate, we will not impose any penalty),” Herbosa said in a video posted on the DOH's official social media accounts.
He said penalizing parents is not part of the DOH policy.
“Naniniwala kami sa human rights at paniniwala ng ating mga magulang kung gusto o ayaw nilang magpabakuna (We believe in human rights and in respecting the beliefs of our parents on whether they choose to be vaccinated or not),” he added.
Herbosa said some children have underlying medical conditions that serve as contraindications to certain vaccines, making them ineligible for immunization.
He made the statement following news report about DOH Undersecretary Emmie Liza Chiong's proposal to the House Committee on Health to consider imposing minor penalties on parents or caregivers who, despite due notice, consciously neglect to protect their children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to the report, Chiong raised the proposal on Wednesday during a hearing on bills seeking to establish a mandatory immunization program, expand comprehensive maternal healthcare that includes immunization, and institutionalize the Immunization Agenda 2030.
DOH Immunization Program Manager Carmina Vera reported that in 2025, only 64.27 percent or around 1.5 million children were fully immunized, significantly below the 95 percent national target. (PNA)
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