Health officials in Central Visayas urged parents Wednesday to consult medical professionals rather than social media posts regarding the ongoing measles-rubella supplemental immunization campaign, which has reached only 12 percent of its regional coverage target.

Dr. Faith Curaraton, coordinator for the regional National Immunization Program under the Department of Health (DoH), said frontline healthcare workers repeatedly encounter parents who refuse vaccinations for their children based on unverified online content.

The DoH in Central Visayas aims to vaccinate 630,214 children aged six months to 59 months during the campaign. However, the current 12 percent coverage rate leaves the region 83 percentage points short of its 95 percent overall target.

Curaraton acknowledged growing fear among parents, noting that many cite Facebook posts and other social media claims when declining immunization for their infants and young children.

“Many parents are indeed afraid now,” Curaraton said. “They tell us, ‘not in our area,’ because of what they saw on Facebook or what they saw on social media.”

She encouraged parents who encounter conflicting or alarming information online to direct their questions directly to qualified healthcare personnel, including doctors, nurses and midwives at local government health centers.

“If you already have those opinions, it is better to ask the right people, such as our doctors, nurses and midwives in our health centers or facilities,” Curaraton said.

The supplemental immunization campaign is scheduled to run through 28 August, though routine child immunizations remain continuously available at public health centers across the region.