ILOILO CITY — The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DoH WV CHD) is targeting to fully immunize at least 93,175 eligible infants aged 0 to 12 months in the region this year, as part of its intensified efforts to curb vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

The 2025 goal aligns with the national push to boost child immunization coverage and bring regions closer to the 95 percent national target.

Although the region has made progress in recent years, it still falls short of the ideal threshold. DoH WV CHD data showed that Fully Immunized Child (FIC) coverage in Western Visayas increased to 65.82 percent or 105,903 infants in 2024, up from 61.36 percent or 98,795 infants in 2023.

Among the provinces and highly urbanized cities, Iloilo posted the highest FIC rate at 73.53 percent last year, followed by Iloilo City with 71.49 percent, Guimaras with 67.51 percent, Capiz at 66.15 percent, and Antique at 66.04 percent.

Negros Occidental followed with 64.38 percent, while Aklan recorded 60.02 percent. Bacolod City registered the lowest at 46.7 percent.

Health authorities stressed the importance of sustaining vaccination campaigns, particularly amid a sharp rise in suspected measles cases in the region during the first quarter of 2025.

DoH WV CHD logged 85 suspected measles cases from January to March, marking a 183 percent surge compared to just 30 cases reported in the same period last year.

“Parents and caregivers should always be proactive, as measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccination, along with proper handwashing and maintaining a safe distance, should be consistently practiced to protect children from various VPDs,” the agency said in a statement.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection spread through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. It can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis and blindness, especially among young children and individuals with weakened immune systems.

According to health guidelines, a fully immunized child must receive one dose of Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine for tuberculosis; three doses of the pentavalent vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type B and hepatitis B; three doses of the oral polio vaccine; and two doses of a measles-containing vaccine by reaching 12 months old.