DOH verifying alleged Phl vaccination data breach

The Department of Health is verifying reports of the alleged data breach of the Philippines' COVID-19 vaccine records following the cyberattack on the World Health Organization's database.

"The Department of Health has received reports that COVID-19 vaccination data from the Philippines housed within the World Health Organization have been compromised and leaked," the DOH said in a statement.

"In response, the DOH is currently in close coordination with WHO and the Department of Information and Communications Technology to ascertain the veracity of this report, as well as to determine the extent of any possible data breaches and the appropriate interventions, should there be any," it added.

The DICT previously confirmed that data information related to the country's COVID-19 vaccine program was compromised after the WHO's database was hacked.

In the meantime, the Health department assured the public that "measures are in place to ensure data privacy, and steps have been taken to reinforce the security of DOH-managed data systems through different security solutions."

"Additionally, in light of the recent hacking incidents and data breaches, the DOH calls on the public to remain vigilant and to take steps to secure their digital information," it said.

As of press time, the WHO has yet to confirm the hacking incident.

Over the past months, several Philippine government websites have been targeted by hackers, including the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the Philippine Statistics Authority and the House of Representatives