The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), through the leadership of the national-level Department of Health and regional-level Ministry of Health and support of UNICEF, World Health Organization, and other partners, achieved a 90 per cent coverage under Phase 1 of the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA) in Mindanao.
Parents, caregivers, and communities across the country, who have yet to vaccinate their children under 5 years old were urged to bring their child to health clinics as part of their routine vaccination, as the MR-SIA ends. Every missed child increases the risk of transmission, while every vaccinated child brings the Philippines closer to ending the measles outbreak.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier announced that it would be implementing a nationwide MR-SIA in two phases to combat the rising cases of measles. Phase 1 in Mindanao concluded on February 20, while Phase 2 will be conducted in Luzon and Visayas in June 2026.
BARMM surpassed the Mindanao wide average of 82 per cent, reflecting a strong improvement in immunization performance. A total of 523,324 children were vaccinated in BARMM out of 577,230 targeted children as of 24 February. Although BARMM has yet to reach the 95 per cent herd immunity threshold, its progress marks a significant turnaround for a region that once had one of the lowest routine immunization rates in the country.
Measles remains one of the most contagious diseases and can cause serious complications and even death, particularly among children.
In BARMM, vaccination efforts were prioritized ahead of Ramadan to ensure children were protected before the holy month.
Its Ministry of Health said more children were vaccinated through strong coordination among government agencies and active community engagement.
“Protecting children from disease is a shared responsibility. Through the leadership of BARMM government agencies and the active engagement of Muslim religious leaders, partners and the whole community, we are helping families understand that vaccination safeguards both individual children and the wider community,” said Dr. Kadil M. Sinolinding, Jr., BARMM Minister of Health.
The MR-SIA was also supported by the region’s Chief Minister and the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, the region’s highest religious authority, providing guidance on matters of Islamic law, jurisprudence, and religious practices.
“Immunization is not optional. It is every child’s right and one of the most effective public health interventions to save lives. While vaccination rate reflects immunization performance in the region, sustained efforts are still needed to reach every child. We remain committed to supporting BARMM and the rest of the Philippines to ensure that every child, especially those in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, is protected against preventable diseases,” said Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Philippines. UNICEF has supported the immunization programme in the Philippines for decades, working alongside the national Department of Health and the BARMM Ministry of Health.
As part of these efforts, UNICEF supports trainings on basic immunization, cold chain management, and Interpersonal Communication for Immunization, and provides vaccine equipment and mobilization assistance to help health workers address vaccine hesitancy and strengthen community demand for vaccination.
One million doses of UNICEF-donated measles-rubella vaccine doses, which arrived mid-February, will help sustain Phase 2 activities in Luzon and Visayas scheduled in June to expand protection for children who may have missed routine immunization.
UNICEF calls on parents, caregivers, and communities across the country to ensure that all children under 5 years old are vaccinated.
Every missed child increases the risk of transmission, while every vaccinated child brings the Philippines closer to ending the measles outbreak.
