Following the Department of Health announcement last Friday on the end of the polio outbreak after almost two years since its resurgence on 19 September 2019. The Commission on Human Rights commends the Department of Health, government and other partner agencies and civil society efforts that have led to the end of the polio outbreak in the Philippines.

Upon the resurgence of the polio outbreak in the Philippines, DOH officials immediately acted to implement several rounds of supplemental immunization campaign to stop the outbreak, reaching an outstanding number of 87.3% of target population.

The success story of the swift end and containment of the poliovirus is commendable and an overwhelmingly positive development in our country’s health situation. Now more than ever, the end of the polio outbreak in the Philippines gives ample proof on the effectivity of vaccines and collective action in preventing, containing and ultimately ending disease outbreaks.

As we urge for the continued monitoring and surveillance to ensure that the closure of this outbreak remains. We continue to urge individuals to yet again register and get their full vaccine doses. The Commission also hopes that parents will consider and register their children to be inoculated against COVID-19 when the Emergency Use Authorization for child vaccination is approved.

The success story on the closure of the polio outbreak is one which we hope the Philippines will emulate in the next months with COVID-19. As we call for continued vigilance, collective action is necessary for everyone to be vaccinated as the push for our goal of #Vaccine4All and target herd immunity continues.