President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Health (DoH) to scale up its “Ligtas Tigdas” vaccination campaign across Mindanao to combat highly contagious viral infections, Malacañang announced Wednesday.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro reported that more than 1 million children in Mindanao received vaccinations during the campaign’s first week. The initiative aims to protect children aged 6 months to 5 years against measles and rubella.

“The DoH aims to keep children away from the harm caused by measles and rubella, especially since these can lead to hospitalization and death if not prevented,” Castro said.