SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian has raised concern over the country’s stagnant child immunization rates and an estimated ₱590.3 million worth of wasted routine vaccines, warning that both threaten the health and development of Filipino children during their first 1,000 days of life.

During the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed 2027 national budget, Gatchalian noted that while funding for the National Immunization Program has increased to ₱7.9 billion, the percentage of fully immunized children has remained at only 60% to 65% over the past five years, leaving about 35% of infants vulnerable to preventable diseases.

As an EDCOM 2 Commissioner, Gatchalian stressed that improving early childhood health is essential to addressing the country’s learning crisis. He said children who enter school already stunted or undernourished face irreversible disadvantages despite increased investments in education.

The senator also cited EDCOM 2 findings showing that vaccine wastage reached an estimated ₱590.3 million in 2025, including losses involving BCG and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines.

He attributed the problem largely to weak inventory management rather than insufficient demand.

Gatchalian urged Health Secretary Edwin Mercado to strengthen the Department of Health’s inventory and distribution system, saying better management could significantly increase vaccination coverage instead of allowing life-saving vaccines to go to waste.

In response, Mercado acknowledged the shortcomings and pledged to overhaul the DOH’s inventory tracking system by extending monitoring down to local government health units.

He said the department is also integrating maternal and child health records from pregnancy through early childhood to improve vaccination rates and reduce stunting before children enter preschool.

Gatchalian further called for vaccines to be delivered directly to municipal health centers, enabling Barangay Health Workers to conduct more effective house-to-house immunization campaigns in underserved communities.