By Helen Castaño | 07:42 PM August 13, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — The Bohol Provincial Health Office has assured parents of the safety of the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), amid low turnout among eligible children in the province.
Bohol Provincial Health Officer Dr. Fruserma Mary Uy said the measles-rubella vaccine being administered under the supplemental immunization campaign has been used for decades and has a well-established safety record.
“Safe kini,” Uy said, urging parents to have their children vaccinated rather than be influenced by misinformation about vaccines.
The provincial health office is targeting around 123,000 children across Bohol, aged six months to 59 months, for the MR-SIA.
However, only around 6,000 children have so far received the supplemental vaccination, indicating a low turnout during the campaign.
“So far, the turnout is not high. The implementation is not high. That is a challenge for us,” Uy said.
Uy also clarified that parents are not being asked to sign a waiver before their children can receive the vaccine. Instead, they are asked to sign a consent form.
She explained that a consent form does not waive the government’s responsibility should a child experience an adverse effect associated with vaccination.
Meanwhile, Dr. Van Phillip Baton, chief of the Department of Health (DOH)-7 Local Health Support Division, emphasized that vaccines have been used and studied for decades and have proven effective in preventing infectious diseases.
“The vaccine is within decades na,” he said. “Vaccines really work.”
He urged parents to make informed decisions and rely on credible health information rather than fear, false claims and misinformation.
Health officials also said that no death has been recorded in Bohol due to the MR-SIA vaccination.
Uy warned that individuals who deliberately spread false information about vaccines may face legal consequences under existing criminal laws.
The health officials appealed to parents to take advantage of the supplemental immunization campaign and have eligible children vaccinated to help protect them and the wider community from measles and rubella.
