"Polio Virus Threatening Filipino Children Anew"

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April 10, 2002

 

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

 

"Polio Virus Threatening Filipino Children Anew"

Business World (Philippines) (bworld.com.ph/current/today.html)

(04/09/02) P. 1; Leotes, Marie T. Lugo

 

In the Philippines, children are in danger of contracting serious diseases because of a shortage of vaccines.  The shortage was caused when the Philippine Department of Health altered its procurement system in 1999 and stopped purchasing vaccines from

the United Nations Children's Fund.   The then head of the

Department of Health, Alberto G. Romualdez Jr., wanted to try using international competitive bidding to obtain the vaccines. Before the new system could be established, however, a change in government took place in the Philippines and the process once again came under review.  As a result, no vaccines were delivered to the Philippines for the last two years, and this has led to a major decline in the total immunization coverage program. Philippino children are now at great risk of contracting diseases like tuberculosis, measles, and polio.  Three cases of polio were diagnosed in the Philippines last year, despite the fact that the World Health Organization had previously certified the country as being polio-free, and a number of people have also come down with measles.  The Philippine government has been making emergency purchases of vaccines to combat these diseases over the last two years.

 

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