DOH Explores Incentives for Child Vaccination Amid High Wastage, Stunting

The Department of Health (DOH) is exploring incentives to encourage child vaccination amid concerns over high vaccine wastage and stunting rates among children aged zero to five years old. This initiative aims to boost vaccination uptake and address developmental delays early on, emphasizing the critical first 1,000 days of a child's life. During budget deliberations, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian raised alarms about the projected P590.3 million in vaccine wastage for 2025, involving seven types of vaccines for children to be classified as Fully Immunized Children (FIC). Data from EDCOM II indicates that only 65% of children achieved FIC status in 2025. Health Secretary Edwin Mercado highlighted that every Filipino newborn automatically receives a PhilHealth ID upon screening. The DOH is looking into linking this system with YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program), enabling a care coordinator at the child's chosen YAKAP clinic to monitor their vaccination schedule and growth charts. "We will also integrate their registration into YAKAP so that at their chosen YAKAP clinic, a care coordinator will track whether the child has been vaccinated and if their growth chart is being maintained," Mercado stated. He added, "We are also establishing a care coordinator top-up incentive so YAKAP clinics are motivated to conduct monitoring and ensure children receive their vaccines. On the DOH side, we will integrate with PhilHealth so that these YAKAP clinics receive a steady supply of vaccines." Gatchalian also pointed to the issue of malnutrition among children aged 0 to 59 months, noting that in 2025, 25.3% of this age group, or approximately two million children, suffered from stunting. He emphasized that this puts children at a significant disadvantage by the time they enter school. Wasting rates stood at 5.1%, and underweight rates at 16.2%. In response, National Nutrition Council (NNC) Executive Director and DOH Undersecretary Albert Francis Domingo proposed linking vaccination to incentives like food stamps or utilizing dedicated Barangay Nutrition Scholars for house-to-house visits. This incentive structure is similar to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which requires families to meet health metrics for cash grants. "The idea is to link it to an incentive that the family can receive—perhaps through the food stamp program or the Walang Gutom program—which can serve as a strong encouragement for families to visit health centers," Domingo explained. "Alternatively, we have around 42,000 to 45,000 dedicated Barangay Nutrition Scholars on the ground… They actively go house-to-house and can identify the exact households where malnourished children live." The DOH ultimately aims to enroll 80% of the population in YAKAP by 2028. Source: GMA News Philippines