MANILA — SENATE President Win Gatchalian has called on the Department of Health (DOH) to fix its vaccine inventory system after nearly P600 million worth of vaccines went to waste in 2025 while only around 60% to 65% of Filipino children were fully immunized.

Gatchalian raised the alarm during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed 2027 national budget, saying the government’s growing health allocations have yet to translate into higher immunization coverage.

The National Immunization Program now has a P7.9-billion budget, while spending on routine vaccines for children in their First 1,000 Days nearly doubled from P2.56 billion in 2023 to P4.93 billion in 2025.

Despite the increased funding, the national Fully Immunized Child coverage has remained stuck at 60% to 65% for the past five years, leaving roughly one in three infants without full protection against potentially deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Despite the increase in budget, nakikita namin na ‘yung coverage is only 65%,” Gatchalian said, stressing that protecting children during the First 1,000 Days should be a top priority.

He warned that poor health and nutrition during the early years could have lasting effects on children’s development and learning.

Gatchalian also cited the country’s rising stunting rate, which climbed from 23.6% in 2023 to 25.3% in 2025, according to the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

P590-M VACCINE WASTAGE

EDCOM 2 estimated that P590.3 million worth of vaccines were wasted in 2025, based on DOH wastage benchmarks and procurement costs.

Among the losses were an estimated P51.2 million in BCG vaccines and P254.5 million in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.

Gatchalian said the wastage is unacceptable, particularly when thousands of children remain unvaccinated.

“About half a billion ang nasasayang,” he said, arguing that the money could instead help immunize more children.

He identified poor inventory management as a major problem and urged the DOH to ensure that vaccines reach local health centers before they expire or become unusable.

DOH VOWS SYSTEM OVERHAUL

DOH Secretary Edwin Mendoza acknowledged the inventory problems and vowed to overhaul the agency’s vaccine distribution and tracking system.

Mendoza said the DOH plans to track children earlier, even during pregnancy, by integrating maternal, newborn, immunization and nutrition services and linking health databases with PhilHealth.

He said the reforms are aimed at raising vaccination rates and cutting stunting before children reach preschool.

Mendoza also admitted that the current inventory system is outdated and said monitoring must reach the “last mile”—from regional offices down to municipal health centers where services are actually delivered.

Gatchalian urged the DOH to bring vaccines closer to communities and empower Barangay Health Workers to conduct house-to-house vaccination, especially in areas where children have difficulty accessing health services.