DOH Shuts Down Talk of Penalizing Parents Who Don't Vaccinate Their Kids: 'We Believe in Human Rights'

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has put his foot down: parents who don't vaccinate their children will NOT be penalized. Period. The clarification came after DOH Undersecretary Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong floated the idea of imposing "minor penalties" on parents who consciously skip immunizations during a House hearing — causing immediate public concern.

"We need to educate parents on the benefits of vaccines. So I repeat, we will not impose a penalty," Herbosa said firmly. He cited Republic Act 10152, the Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011, which mandates that parents be informed and educated about vaccines — not punished for avoiding them.

Herbosa pointed out a practical reality: some children have medical contraindications that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. "As a doctor, we know that there are children who have contraindications to receiving vaccines. In some cases, the vaccine cannot be given to them," he explained.

The health chief also emphasized that the DOH respects personal beliefs. "We believe in human rights and the beliefs of our parents, whether they want or do not want their children to be vaccinated," he said. DOH spokesman Albert Domingo echoed this, saying the focus should be on improving information campaigns rather than threatening sanctions.

In a country still recovering from the Dengvaxia scare that tanked public trust in vaccination programs, the DOH's approach makes sense. Punishing parents would only deepen vaccine hesitancy. Education and trust-building are the longer road, pero it's the right one. Hindi mo mapipilipit ang magulang — kailangan mong kumbinsihin.

Source: The Manila Times