Senate OKs bill requiring Hepa B shots for infants

A law expanding the country’s basic mandatory immunization program for infants was passed by senators on Monday, requiring infants to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B — a serious and potentially fatal infection that afflicts some 10 percent of Filipinos. Under the country’s health system, a program of free immunization is available for Filipino infants and includes a schedule of mandatory vaccinations against the most serious and crippling childhood diseases — diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and tuberculosis. Under the program, these vaccines are available for free from health centers and public hospitals across the country, and often, barangay health workers even monitor to ensure that all infants in the villages they serve receive the full schedule of immunizations. The new law will make vaccines against Hepatitis B available to all new-born Filipino infants, and mandatory for all infants within 24 hours up to seven days of their birth. During Monday's Senate session, all 13 senators present approved Senate Bill 138 on third and final reading. The bill will amend Presidential Decree 996 in order to require mandatory basic immunization services against Hepatitis B for infants. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). For some people, hepatitis B infection becomes chronic, leading to liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis — a condition that causes permanent scarring of the liver. Most people infected with hepatitis B as adults recover fully, even if their signs and symptoms are severe. Infants and children are much more likely to develop a chronic hepatitis B infection. Although no cure exists for hepatitis B, a vaccine can prevent the disease. The new law also requires all health care workers who are administering prenatal care to educate all pregnant mothers on the importance and positive effects of immunization. The budget for the immunization project will be taken from the disease prevention program of the Department of Health. The new law also tasks the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to include basic immunization services in its benefit package, after undertaking actuarial studies to determine if this is financially feasibility. SB 138 was authored by Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Franklin Drilon and Pia Cayetano. Cayetano said that around eight million Filipinos, or 10 percent of the population, are affected by Hepatitis B. - DM, GMANews.TV