Lawmaker files bill mandating immunization of infants vs Hepa B

MANILA, Philippines – A senior lawmaker has filed a measure mandating the immunization of newborn infants against Hepatitis B virus to protect them from the deadly disease and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, principal author of House Bill 107, said Hepatitis B is still endemic in the country and had already affected eight million Filipinos or about 10 percent of the population.

Abaya said the virus can be transmitted thru contaminated blood and also by an infected pregnant mother to her newborn.

The best opportunity to prevent unrecognized pre-natal transmission of the virus is through routine Hepatitis B vaccination of all newborn infants, he said.

“This was recommended by the World Health Organization and being practiced in many developed countries and developing countries such as the United States, Canada and Taiwan,” Abaya said.

“The best protection that may be given to a child is still prevention, thus, the filing of this bill mandating the giving of routine Hepatitis B vaccination to all infants at birth to avoid the risk of acquiring the viral infection,” he said.

Under the bill, the government will shoulder the expenses when the vaccination program is implemented.

The bill mandates government doctors and health workers to inform the parents or legal guardians about the availability and benefits of newborn Hepatitis B immunization to heighten public awareness.

“Hepatitis B virus infection is a serious health problem that concerns not only our country but also the rest of the world. And immunization at birth is found to be the most effective and incidentally, the most cost-efficient means of preventing it,” he said. –Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)