COTABATO CITY (January 9) — When measles swept through parts of the Bangsamoro region last year, many parents did not realize how dangerous the illness could be—until it was too late.
“My child had fever and rashes. We thought it would pass,” recalled a mother in Maguindanao del Sur, whose two-year-old son was hospitalized during the 2025 outbreak. “By the time we reached the hospital, he was already weak. No parent should go through that.”
Stories like hers now underscore a renewed push by the Bangsamoro government to vaccinate 577,230 children against measles-rubella in a region-wide immunization drive running from January 19 to February 13.
House-to-house vaccination
Dr. Dayan Decampong Sangcopan, coordinator of the Bangsamoro Immunization Program, said vaccinators will go door to door across Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and the Special Geographic Area to reach children who missed routine immunization.
“Our health frontliners are ready. All preparations are in place,” Sangcopan said during a radio interview. “This campaign is about preventing another tragedy.”
A painful lesson from 2025
In 2025, BARMM recorded more than 700 measles cases and around 40 child deaths, most involving unvaccinated children. Health workers say many families delayed seeking care, underestimated the illness, or lived too far from health facilities.
In Lanao del Sur, a father said he lost his niece after measles complications. “If vaccination had reached our barangay earlier, she might still be alive,” he said. “Now we tell everyone: don’t refuse the vaccine.”
Nationally, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 4,718 measles-rubella cases from January to November 2025, with 73 percent of patients unvaccinated—a figure health officials say highlights persistent immunization gaps.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said 3.3 million vaccine doses are ready nationwide, with 2.3 million already pre-positioned in Mindanao to ensure smooth rollout in high-risk areas.
Parents urged to open their doors
Health officials stressed that measles is highly contagious but preventable, and urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams.
In Basilan, a mother of three said she will no longer hesitate. “We were afraid before because of rumors,” she said. “After seeing children die, I know now the vaccine is protection, not danger.”
Sangcopan echoed the call, saying the success of the campaign depends on trust and community participation.
“Vaccination is free, safe, and life-saving,” he said. “We ask parents to welcome our health workers—for the sake of their children.”
Preventing the next outbreak
Health authorities warn that without high vaccination coverage, BARMM remains vulnerable to another outbreak—especially in geographically isolated and conflict-affected communities.
For families who lost children in 2025, the immunization drive is not just a public health campaign—it is a chance to spare others the same grief.
“We don’t want to bury another child,” the Maguindanao mother said quietly. “If vaccination can stop that, then every child should receive it.”
