Iloilo misses target immunization coverage

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has reported that the province's vaccination coverage for fully immunized children (FIC) remains well below the target of 95 percent, underscoring the need for urgent measures to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

IPHO head Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon said that vaccination rates in Iloilo have consistently fallen short of the target since 2020.

Data from the past five years show the following FIC rates: 74 percent in 2020, 70 percent in 2021, 63 percent in 2022, 69 percent in 2023, and 74 percent in 2024.

"For fully immunized children in the province of Iloilo, the target is 95 percent. However, we fall short of the target," said Colmenares-Quiñon.

Of the 43 towns, only six towns in the province have surpassed the 95 percent target.

To address the shortfall, she stressed that the IPHO has been proactive in coordinating with local government units to improve vaccination rates through outbreak responses, continued surveillance, and health education campaigns.

Colmenares-Quiñon highlighted the critical role of vaccination in preventing life-threatening diseases such as polio and tetanus.

She urged parents to ensure their children receive the necessary immunizations to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases.

"We are struggling to reach the target that is why we are actively campaigning to our parents to send their children to the center to be immunized to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases and to avoid sickness and death," she said.

To improve access, the IPHO has deployed midwives to visit barangay health stations, providing immunization services directly to communities.

While Iloilo's FIC rate remains below the ideal threshold, it still ranks as the highest in Western Visayas, according to the IPHO.