The Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI), in collaboration with the International Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) and the City Health Office of Valenzuela, held a vaccination drive titled “BakunAMoRe: Buhay Protektado, Mikrobyo Laging Talo” on Friday for local residents.
According to Dr. Percival Lao of ACRI, the initiative is not merely a vaccination drive but an opportunity to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of the Philippine Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
“It's not just a simple vaccination drive, it also has an education component. This November, we were celebrating Philippine Antimicrobial Awareness Week,” Dr. Lao said.
Dr. Lao emphasized that vaccination is a crucial tool in preventing infection and minimizing the need for antibiotics, the excessive use of which drives antimicrobial resistance.
ACRI cited the World Health Organization in noting that AMR remains a growing threat to health systems worldwide and is now considered one of the top ten global health threats. AMR compromises the effectiveness of routine treatment and contributes to the increasing burden of preventable diseases.
“Philippine Antimicrobial Awareness Week tries to raise awareness on antimicrobial resistance. We know that vaccines can prevent infections. If we can prevent infections, we can reduce the use of antibiotics, thus reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance,” Dr. Lao said.
Residents—prioritizing senior citizens—received the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and influenza vaccine. ACRI stressed that AMR poses a critical challenge to the elderly, with multidrug-resistant organisms responsible for increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
“What we want to raise awareness on is the need to have more supply for vaccination within our local government units. Right now, AMR is receiving a lot of attention globally, nationally, and locally,” Dr. Lao said.
“So what we want to position is that the vaccine can also be a tool or a measure that we can use to actually reduce AMR. If we position it like that, maybe we can get more funding so that we can have immunization or actually adequate vaccines for our elderly within the LGUs. Because right now, our vaccines are mostly in pediatrics, in the national immunization program,” he added.
Valenzuela City Health Office representative Dr. Jyra Concepcion highlighted the risks of unwarranted antibiotic use, noting that many patients continue to believe they recover faster by taking antibiotics without prescription.
“Patients have preconceived ideas that they will have faster recovery when they take the antibiotics even without the doctor's prescription. And the problem with that is, there will be antimicrobial resistance,” Dr. Concepcion said.
“So the antimicrobial resistance exists when you use the antibiotic inappropriately. So the next time that you use that antibiotic, it will no longer be efficient or it will not be effective for that person who misuses the antibiotic,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mabel De Leo of ICARS said their collaboration with Ateneo has been aligned with their goal of integrating vaccine initiatives in South and Southeast Asia and raising awareness of AMR risks.
“We work specifically in antimicrobial resistance, so we're very familiar with the concept. But for us, it's a problem that has become global, so it's not only in one country. Everywhere in the world, AMR is a problem, and we have to see it also with a lot of lenses,” Dr. De Leo stated.