By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) Ilocos Region is stepping up its campaign to shield young children from measles and rubella, with Regional Director Helen D. Tobias personally checking vaccination sites and frontline operations under the 2026 Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MRSIA).
Tobias has been making routine visits to vaccination sites to assess the implementation of the campaign, assist health workers and help ensure that children aged 6 to 59 months are reached and protected.
Her field inspections come as the region continues its vaccination push amid the challenges posed by the ongoing typhoon season.
“We need to give every child the protection they need in order to safeguard their health and future,” Tobias said.
During her visits, Tobias monitored vaccination procedures, engaged with health workers and heard concerns from personnel working on the ground. She also reinforced the need to maintain safe, orderly and quality vaccination services while maximizing efforts to reach every eligible child.
But while vaccination coverage remains a priority, Tobias stressed that health workers must not be placed in unnecessary danger as they carry out the campaign.
She reminded frontline personnel to remain vigilant, observe established safety protocols and exercise caution whenever weather conditions threaten the safety of vaccination teams.
For the DOH Ilocos Region, the campaign is not simply about increasing the number of vaccinated children—it is also about ensuring that the people delivering essential health services are protected.
Tobias likewise appealed to parents and caregivers to take an active role by bringing children aged 6 to 59 months to designated vaccination sites or coordinating with local health offices and barangay health workers.
“This is a shared responsibility. The DOH and our health workers will do everything we can to reach our children, but we also need parents and communities to do their part. Let us not miss the opportunity to protect our children,” Tobias said.
The DOH said MRSIA 2026 remains focused on closing gaps in childhood protection and making sure that eligible children are not missed because of distance, weather or other barriers.
The agency continues to work with local government units, barangay health workers and communities to bring vaccination services closer to families.
As the campaign moves forward, the DOH Ilocos Region emphasized that every child deserves protection from vaccine-preventable diseases—and every health worker deserves a safe environment in which to provide it.
Even during the typhoon season, the department said it will continue working to reach communities and protect children, while keeping the safety and welfare of its frontline health workers firmly at the center of the campaign.
