24/08/2026
๐AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR DEAR PARENTS
For the children we both love๐
Dear Parents,
We know that behind every question, hesitation, refusal, or fear is a parent who simply wants to protect a child. And we understand that.
We, too, are parents, children, brothers, sisters, and members of families. We know the fear that comes with seeing our children receive an injection. We know the questions: Is it safe? Will my child have a reaction? Is it really necessary? What if something happens?
These are not questions we should silence. These are questions we should answer.
But today, our healthcare workers are also facing a difficult reality.
During the implementation of the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity, some of our health workers have found themselves in situations where they are no longer simply delivering a vaccine. They are being asked to defend their intentions, their profession, and sometimes even their integrity.
We want you to know that we are not coming to your homes to take away your right to decide. We are coming because we are entrusted to protect the health of your children and our communities.
The law itself recognizes the importance of immunization. Republic Act No. 10152, the Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011, declares a comprehensive and mandatory immunization program for vaccine-preventable diseases and recognizes the State's responsibility to provide these services. It was enacted in accordance with the constitutional policy of protecting and promoting the people's right to health.
But we also recognize this: A law does not erase a parent's fear.
That is why we knock on your doors.
We explain.
We listen.
We answer.
We try again.
Because vaccination is not merely an injection. It is a shield against diseases that can take away a child's health, education, opportunities and sometimes, a child's life.
The vaccine we are bringing to your homes is not an enemy. It is protection.
And behind every vial is a healthcare worker who has spent hours under the heat, walked through difficult roads, entered communities far from health facilities, and continued knocking on doors even after being refused.
Not because we want to win an argument. But because we do not want to lose a child to a preventable disease.
At the same time, we humbly ask for your understanding that healthcare workers are human beings, too.
We have professional duties. We have ethical obligations. We have standards that we must follow. We are expected to provide safe, appropriate, and competent care but we must also work within the law, professional standards, informed consent, and legitimate safety requirements.
Our commitment to โdo no harmโ does not mean abandoning our responsibility to protect. It means doing everything reasonably within our professional duty to prevent harm.
And sometimes, preventing harm means vaccinating.
Sometimes, it means educating.
Sometimes, it means listening to a frightened parent.
And sometimes, it means respectfully saying that a healthcare service must be provided according to the standards and conditions that govern our profession.
Dear parents,
We are not against you.
We are not here to fight you.
We are standing on the same side.
You want your child to grow healthy. So do we.
You want your child to live. So do we.
You want your child to have a future. That is precisely why we are here.
If you have questions, ask us.
If you are afraid, tell us.
If you have heard something that worries you, let us talk about it.
But please do not mistake our persistence for disrespect, or our insistence on protecting children for an attempt to take away your role as parents.
And please remember that the healthcare worker standing at your door is not merely performing a government assignment. There is a human being behind that uniform.
Someone who is tired.
Someone who has a family waiting at home.
Someone who has chosen public service.
Someone who continues walking from house to house because somewhere behind another door may be a child who needs protection.
So, dear parents, let us meet not as opposing sides. Let us meet as partners in protecting our children.
Because at the end of this campaign, there should be no winner and no loser. There should only be children who are safer. Children who are protected. Children who have been given a better chance at tomorrow.
We knock because we care.
We explain because we respect you.
We vaccinate because we protect.
And we serve because every child matters.
With respect and with hope,
Your Healthcare Workers
Ctto.
