Gatchalian flags stagnant immunization rates, nearly P600M in vaccine wastage

By SAMAR NEWS.COM
September 5, 2026

CATBALOGAN CITY – Senate President Win Gatchalian, a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), has raised alarms over the Philippines’ stagnant childhood immunization coverage and massive vaccine wastage, calling them major barriers to early childhood development and long-term learning outcomes.

During a Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed FY 2027 national budget, Gatchalian highlighted that funding for the National Immunization Program has climbed to P7.9 billion, with procurement for routine vaccines in the first 1,000 days of life nearly doubling from P2.56 billion in 2023 to P4.93 billion in 2025. Despite the increased spending, Fully Immunized Child (FIC) coverage has remained stuck between 60% and 65% for the past five years, leaving roughly 35% of infants unprotected against preventable diseases.

“Despite the increase in budget, nakikita namin na ‘yung coverage is only 65%,” Gatchalian told Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Edwin Mendoza. “Dapat non-negotiable ‘yung first 1,000 days. I’m sure you know na ‘pag lumampas ng 4, 5 years old, irreversible na ‘yan eh, no?”

EDCOM 2 data visualized in a new infographic underscore the scale of inefficiency. An analysis of annual DOH vaccine supply from 2023–2025 shows wastage and surplus reaching critical levels across key antigens. For BCG, 50% of doses (2.7 million) were used while 25% were wasted and another 25% left in surplus. IPV saw 35% wastage (1.9 million doses), hepatitis B 45% wastage (1.3 million), and bOPV 35% wastage (2.6 million). Several vaccines, including PCV and Pentavalent, showed surplus rates above 85–90%, meaning the vast majority of procured doses went unused.

Using DOH wastage benchmarks and procurement costs, EDCOM 2 estimates P590.3 million worth of vaccines were wasted in 2025 alone. The benchmarked 50% wastage rate for BCG translates to roughly P51.2 million lost, while the 25% rate for MMR accounts for about P254.5 million.

“Only 60% of [children in their] First 1000 days ang nabibigyan ng immunization, and yet maraming wastage ang nangyayari – about half a billion ang nasasayang. So kung nabi-nabigay natin yung half a billion doon sa mga batang yon…baka 70%-80% ng mga bata ang maimmunize natin,” Gatchalian said. He pinned the problem on poor inventory management rather than lack of demand: “Inventory problem is something that you need to put a lot of attention kasi ang daming perang nasasayang eh.”

The senator linked the failures directly to the country’s learning crisis. Children who miss critical immunizations and nutrition in the first 1,000 days often enter school already stunted or wasted – conditions from which full recovery is unlikely. DOST-FNRI data show stunting rose to 25.3% in 2025, up from 23.6% in 2023, the first increase in a decade.

“Kahit anong investment natin sa education, kung papasok sila na stunted, wasted, underweight tapos na ‘yung boxing eh…Hindi na sila makaka-recover,” Gatchalian stressed.

In response, Secretary Mendoza acknowledged deep inventory and last-mile delivery problems. He said the DOH is overhauling its systems to track children from pregnancy onward through expanded primary care networks and PhilHealth database integration, aiming to raise vaccination rates and lower stunting before children reach preschool

“Hindi lang po ‘pag na-newborn kundi ang ginagawa po natin ngayon, even during the pregnancy stage kina-capture na po natin,” Mendoza said. He pledged to push tracking and commodity distribution down to rural health units and barangay level so vaccines actually reach communities. Gatchalian urged the department to download stocks directly to municipal health centers so barangay health workers can conduct proactive house-to-house immunization.