19/08/2026
FAKE NEWS, MISINFORMATION HURT MEASLES-RUBELLA VACCINATION CAMPAIGN, CITY HEALTH OFFICE SAYS
August 19, 2026 | Calbayog City
Fake news and misinformation are hampering the city’s measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, according to the City Health Office (CHO).
The situation in Calbayog, however, is not an isolated case, as several local government units across the country have likewise reported resistance to vaccination fueled by misinformation and fake news.
A local frontline nurse lamented that health workers have encountered individuals who have become closed-minded, resulting in lower vaccination turnout and, in some cases, displaying hostility toward frontline health workers.
According to the CHO, as of yesterday, only 3,484 children had been vaccinated, representing just 18 percent of the city’s target of 19,225.
In an interview posted online, Rowena Bracamonte Faller, RN, the city's program coordinator of the National Immunization Program, appealed to parents saying “unta diri tumuod sa fake news kay kairo man san aton kabataan."
City Health Officer Dr. Sylvia de Guzman previously declared that the city is “exhausting all means and opportunities to intervene in order to bring back our Fully Immunized Child (FIC) coverage.”
She added that the city is aiming for more than 80 percent vaccination coverage to help achieve herd immunity and prevent the spread of measles and rubella.
Amid these challenges, City Mayor Raymund Uy also urged parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated.
In a social media post, Mayor Uy encouraged parents and guardians of children aged 6 to 59 months to have their children vaccinated against measles and rubella.
"An bakuna usa nga love language — usa nga paagi san pagpakita san aton gugma, pag-ataman, ngan pagprotekta san aton kabataan.”
Measles and rubella are two different viral diseases that can both be prevented through vaccination. Measles is highly contagious and may cause serious complications, particularly among children. Rubella, also known as German measles, generally causes milder symptoms but can pose serious risks to pregnant women because infection during pregnancy may result in birth defects. The MR vaccine provides protection against both diseases.
(Photo from City Health Office page)
