ILOILO — Iloilo province is leading Western Visayas in the intensified measles-rubella vaccination campaign, reaching 67.7 percent coverage as health workers continue a final push to protect thousands of young children from two highly contagious diseases.
The latest figure, reported by the Iloilo Provincial Health Office, means 116,691 children aged 6 to 59 months had received measles-rubella vaccines as of September 6 under the 2026 Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA). The province’s target is 172,360 children, leaving 55,669 still unreached based on the campaign’s projected target.
The accomplishment puts Iloilo ahead of the other provinces and highly urbanized areas in Western Visayas. The region as a whole has reached about 62 percent of its projected target of 408,114 children.
Iloilo tops Western Visayas
The latest regional figures show:
- Iloilo province — 67.7%
- Antique — 63.5%
- Guimaras — 59.3%
- Iloilo City — about 57.3–57.4%
- Capiz — about 57.1%
- Aklan — about 52.8–52.9%
The numbers have improved substantially during the campaign, but health authorities continue to emphasize that the job is far from finished.
The World Health Organization’s measles-and-rubella elimination strategy calls for at least 95 percent vaccination coverage with two doses of measles- and rubella-containing vaccines in every district to maintain high population immunity and reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Some Iloilo towns already crossed the 95% mark
While the province-wide figure remains below the desired level, several local government units have already exceeded the campaign target.
According to Philippine News Agency, Guimbal recorded 100.76 percent, San Enrique 99.86 percent, Miagao 96.99 percent, and Tigbauan 96.19 percent based on the DOH-projected targets.
Daily Guardian likewise reported that Guimbal, San Enrique, Tigbauan and Miagao were among the strongest performers, while Estancia, Carles and Zarraga remained among the municipalities with the lowest reported coverage.
A coverage figure above 100 percent does not mean more than 100 percent of all children were vaccinated; rather, it indicates that the number vaccinated exceeded the government’s projected target for that locality.
The campaign comes after a sharp rise in cases
The urgency behind the vaccination drive is rooted in a significant increase in measles-rubella cases in Western Visayas.
Regional reports said suspected measles-rubella cases increased from 314 in 2024 to 444 in 2025, a rise of roughly 41 percent. Iloilo province accounted for the largest share, with 291 reported cases in 2025, compared with 129 the previous year.
That increase prompted the Department of Health to mount a regionwide supplemental immunization campaign targeting more than 408,000 children aged 6 to 59 months.
The program, known as the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity or MR-SIA, is part of the government’s broader Ligtas Tigdas initiative.
Health workers go where the children are
Iloilo’s progress has been driven in part by vaccination teams working in difficult-to-reach communities.
Health personnel have conducted door-to-door vaccination, fixed-site immunization and community-based activities, including efforts in mountainous and coastal areas. According to Iloilo health officials, vaccinators have faced difficult terrain, rain and rough seas while trying to reach eligible children.
The campaign also relies heavily on barangay health workers and local government units to identify children who have not yet received their supplemental dose.
There is also encouraging news on disease numbers
The vaccination push appears to coincide with a substantial decline in reported measles-rubella cases in Iloilo this year.
As of September 5, the Iloilo Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit had recorded 62 measles-rubella cases, compared with 241 during the same period in 2025 — a reported decline of 74.3 percent. No deaths were recorded in either period.
That improvement, however, does not eliminate the need to close remaining immunity gaps.
Why measles remains a major concern
Measles is among the world’s most contagious infectious diseases. It can cause fever and rash and, in severe cases, complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, particularly among young children.
Rubella is generally milder, but infection during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, fetal death or congenital rubella syndrome, which can cause serious birth defects.
The WHO continues to stress the importance of achieving high and equitable vaccination coverage because communities with pockets of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children can remain vulnerable to outbreaks.
The numbers tell two different stories
Iloilo’s 67.7 percent accomplishment is significant: it is the highest reported coverage in Western Visayas.
But it also means that more than 55,000 children remain outside the campaign’s projected vaccination target.
And there is an important statistical nuance: Philippine News Agency reported that the province’s actual eligible-child population was higher than the DOH-projected campaign target. Based on the provincial figure of 264,255 eligible children, PNA reported coverage of 92.02 percent, leaving 8,460 eligible children unimmunized.
That distinction is important when interpreting the 67.7-percent figure: 67.7 percent is the accomplishment against the government’s projected campaign target of 172,360 children, not necessarily the vaccination rate among every eligible child in the province.
The race now is to close the gap
Iloilo may be leading Western Visayas, but health authorities are still urging parents and guardians of eligible children to visit their nearest health center or designated vaccination site.
The broader goal is not simply to produce a high campaign percentage. It is to build enough population immunity to prevent measles and rubella from finding vulnerable pockets of children.
For Iloilo, the latest numbers offer both progress and a warning: the province is ahead of its neighbors, but tens of thousands of children remain outside the campaign’s projected target.
The biggest question now is whether Iloilo can turn its 67.7-percent lead into the much harder goal — closing the remaining immunity gap before preventable diseases have another chance to spread.
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