The rise of vaccines was a triumph for the medical world for they prevented and terminated the expansion of many illnesses that caused the reduction of numerous human lives. Vaccines, together with the invention of treatments against different diseases, liberated mankind from the fear of dying due to incurable suspects. Good Neighbors International Philippines (GNIP) upholds the importance of these life-changing mechanisms by spreading awareness of their big impacts on human life, especially on children.

GNIP’s Community Health Awareness on Vaccination and Treatment of Common Childhood Illnesses in the community was implemented on April 19, 2018, in Pugad Day Care Center, and in Tibaguin Catholic Chapel which benefitted 75 participants in the area.

Dr. Jenna Maniego, a Rural Health Unit officer III and a municipal doctor, kicked off the discussion with the reiteration of the importance of vaccines in a person’s life. She, then, moved on to its advantages, and the concerns and issues on the misconceptions were also addressed. One of the most recent and popular issues in the medical limelight was the problem with Dengvaxia. Fortunately, Dr. Maniego dedicated a part of her discussion to addressing this concern to minimize the perspective of fear of parents towards the vaccine. In the end, although some parents still question the effect of vaccinations on their children’s health, the discussion opened their eyes as to how they work, and the variations that each person needs to defend oneself from common illnesses.

Parents’ apprehension offers an opportunity to continue community education regarding matters of health-related topics in order to encourage and endorse understanding of its importance to the whole family’s health condition.