MANILA — The Department of Health is considering expanding the inoculation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to adolescents and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) to the elderly by next year, a health official said Friday.
The HPV vaccines, which offer protection against cervical cancer, are administered to Grade 4 students in selected areas.
Meanwhile, the PPSV23, which can prevent cases such as pneumonia, is provided for indigent senior citizens.
"Ang mga plano po natin i-expand na po natin 'yung HPV [vaccination] nationwide. Hindi nalang ito sa selected areas," Dr. Janice Bunoan-Macazo of the DOH's Disease Prevention and Control Bureau said in a virtual town hall forum.
"Pati 'yung mga pneumococcal vaccine, pinag-aaralan na po kung puwede ibigay sa lahat ng senior citizens."
The agency also hopes to integrate the administration of vaccines against dengue, malaria and TB into the national immunization program in the future.
Established in 1976, the country's national immunization program seeks to provide immunity against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.
The World Immunization Week is observed on the last week of April.