CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Parents in Oriental Mindoro are being urged to take advantage of free measles-rubella vaccination as health authorities intensify efforts to protect young children from two highly contagious diseases.
The Department of Health (DOH), through its MIMAROPA Center for Health Development and Provincial DOH Office, together with the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Health Office and local government units, launched the province’s Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA) on August 10.
The campaign covers children 6 months to 59 months old, with vaccination available free of charge through rural health units, health centers, barangay health stations, schools and other temporary vaccination sites. The nationwide campaign is scheduled to run from August 10 to 28, 2026.
Why children are being given another measles-rubella dose
The vaccination drive is a supplemental immunization campaign. That means eligible children are being offered an additional dose even if they have previously received measles-rubella vaccines.
The goal is to close immunity gaps and reach children who may have missed or fallen behind on routine vaccination.
Oriental Mindoro officials said the province is targeting broad coverage among children aged 6 to 59 months. The provincial government said the campaign forms part of the National Immunization Program and aims to help achieve the 95% vaccination coverage level considered necessary to prevent sustained measles transmission.
The provincial health office is implementing the campaign across 14 municipalities and one city, working with municipal health offices, local governments, the Provincial Department of Health Office and other government partners.
The timing is significant
The campaign comes as the Philippines continues to deal with elevated measles-rubella activity.
The DOH reported a 45% increase in measles-rubella cases during the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The increase prompted renewed calls for vaccination, particularly among children who remain unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.
National health officials have repeatedly emphasized that measles can spread rapidly and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, hospitalization and, in severe cases, death.
In January, the DOH launched the first phase of its nationwide MR-SIA in Mindanao, targeting children 6 to 59 months old. Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa described vaccination as one of the most reliable tools for preventing outbreaks and said the national campaign was designed to reach children regardless of their previous vaccination status.
Oriental Mindoro health officials push back against misinformation
At the Oriental Mindoro launch in Naujan, health officials also stressed the importance of getting vaccine information from qualified health workers rather than relying on unverified social-media posts.
DOH MIMAROPA Medical Officer IV Dr. Mathew Medrano urged parents to consult healthcare workers about vaccination and warned against misinformation and misconceptions circulating online. He said children are assessed by health personnel before vaccination and monitored afterward for possible reactions.
The DOH has also maintained that the vaccines used in the campaign have undergone safety, quality and efficacy checks. Earlier this year, Health Secretary Herbosa likewise said the vaccines used in the national campaign are backed by decades of scientific evidence.
Other provinces are doing the same
Oriental Mindoro is not alone in the intensified vaccination push.
In Antique, health authorities have also been conducting an MR-SIA for children aged 6 to 59 months from August 10 to 28, with 56,730 children identified as targets for vaccination.
In the Cordillera region, the DOH launched another MR-SIA campaign targeting more than 150,000 children aged 6 months to 5 years old. Officials there said measles-rubella cases in the region had declined by 40% from January through July compared with the same period in 2025, but vaccination efforts would continue.
Cebu City has likewise joined the August campaign, targeting about 90,000 children, while the broader Central Visayas effort covers hundreds of thousands of eligible children.
What parents in Oriental Mindoro need to know
For families with children between 6 and 59 months, the message from health authorities is straightforward: check with the nearest health center or vaccination site and ask whether the child is eligible for the supplemental MR dose.
Parents should bring their children for assessment even if they believe the child has already been vaccinated. Health workers can review the child’s vaccination history and determine the appropriate action.
Measles is among the most contagious vaccine-preventable diseases, while rubella can pose particularly serious risks during pregnancy because infection can result in congenital rubella syndrome in babies. UNICEF notes that measles can cause complications ranging from ear infections and diarrhea to pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death in severe cases.
The Philippine government and health partners have long emphasized that routine childhood vaccination remains essential. UNICEF says routine vaccines are provided free through government health centers and facilities, while maintaining high vaccination coverage is critical to preventing outbreaks.
For Oriental Mindoro families, the current opportunity is time-limited: the province-wide supplemental vaccination campaign is scheduled to continue through August 28.
And with measles-rubella cases having risen nationally earlier this year, health officials are making the same appeal across communities: don’t wait for an outbreak to remind you that protection was available.
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