Vaccines rank among the most powerful tools in public health and among the most cost-effective healthcare investments available. They prevent an estimated 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), essential vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives worldwide over the last 50 years — equivalent to six lives every minute, every day, for five decades. Vaccination accounted for 40% of the improvement in infant survival during this period, and the measles vaccine alone accounted for 60% of the lives saved through immunization.

Beyond saving lives, vaccines prevent severe illness and disability, ease the burden on health systems, protect families from the financial consequences of disease, and help people remain healthy and productive.

Yet these achievements cannot be taken for granted. The WHO had already flagged vaccine hesitancy — the delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite the availability of vaccination services — among its top ten threats to global health in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic added new strains to public confidence. An alarming rise in vaccine misinformation circulating through social media and other digital channels threatens to erode public trust in immunization programs and reverse hard-won gains in vaccine coverage and disease control built over many decades. Vaccine misinformation and hesitancy are compounding persistent gaps in immunization coverage, creating conditions in which vaccine-preventable diseases like measles can return.

The Philippine experience

The Philippines has not been spared. The country's immunization coverage has yet to fully recover from the drop that followed the 2017 Dengvaxia controversy, which sharply reduced public confidence in vaccines and contributed to measles outbreaks declared in several regions in 2019 and a polio outbreak later that year. In 2025, the WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, raised the alarm over a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in East Asia and the Pacific amid falling vaccine coverage and eroding public trust. The Philippines was among the countries that reported a sharp increase in measles cases during the first months of the year, recording 2,068 cases from Jan. 1 to May 10, 2025.

Health authorities warned that millions of children across the Western Pacific remained unvaccinated or under-vaccinated following disruptions to immunization programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising vaccine hesitancy, fueled by misinformation, disinformation, and distrust, further threatens the confidence families need to protect their children.

In the Philippines, digital misinformation has spread myths and false claims about vaccines, including those against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and COVID-19. The Department of Health (DoH) and public health experts have repeatedly countered these claims and emphasized that vaccines used in immunization programs undergo rigorous evaluation for safety and effectiveness. Notably, the MMR-autism myth traces back to a 1998 study that was later retracted and discredited, yet it continues to circulate widely online.

What US survey data shows

The challenge is not unique to the Philippines. In the United States, where childhood vaccination rates have declined and measles cases have risen, a nationwide KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust published in June 2026 showed that several commonly circulated vaccine myths remain pervasive. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but declining vaccination coverage has since enabled renewed outbreaks, most recently in Texas in 2025.

One of its most important findings concerned trust. Among adults who did not have a doctor or other healthcare provider they trusted to answer questions about their health, 39% incorrectly believed, or leaned toward believing, that MMR vaccines had been proven to cause autism in children. Among people with a trusted healthcare provider, the figure was significantly lower at 24%.

The poll also found a relationship between people's sources of health information and their susceptibility to vaccine misinformation. Among adults who sought health advice at least weekly through social media, 37% believed or leaned toward believing the false MMR-autism claim, compared with 16% among those who never used social media for health advice. Among frequent users of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for health information, 35% believed or leaned toward believing the claim, compared with 20% among people who never used AI for health advice.

This does not mean that social media or AI necessarily cause people to believe vaccine misinformation. It does, however, underscore the importance of ensuring that people have access to credible sources and trusted healthcare professionals as they navigate an increasingly complex digital information environment.

The KFF poll also found that what parents believe about vaccine myths affects the decisions they make for their children. Parents who delayed or skipped recommended childhood vaccines were significantly more likely to believe vaccine falsehoods.

These findings carry an important lesson for public health. Fact-checking and scientific evidence remain essential, but facts alone may not always be enough to change deeply held beliefs. Countering misinformation therefore requires more than correcting falsehoods after they have spread — it requires building trust before misinformation takes hold.

Community-level strategies in the Philippines

The DoH has increasingly adopted this approach, combating vaccine misinformation and hesitancy through localized information campaigns, partnerships with community leaders, and direct public engagement.

In Central Luzon, for example, health authorities conduct localized technical sessions and community engagements involving barangay officials, health workers, and local leaders to explain the importance of vaccination and address concerns. The region has also developed "vaccine champions" who include not only healthcare workers but mothers and other community members who can encourage immunization within their own neighborhoods. This matters because people are often more receptive to health information when it comes from somebody they already know and trust.

A similar approach has been adopted in Northern Mindanao, where the DoH has partnered with barangay captains, councilors, and social mobilizers to strengthen public confidence in the Ligtas Tigdas measles-rubella vaccination campaign. Mobile vaccination teams and community-based activities have been deployed to reach children, including those living in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas. Barangay orientations, health education, and direct engagement with parents help ensure that families receive accurate information while bringing vaccination services closer to communities.

Healthcare professionals as multipliers of trust

Healthcare professionals are particularly important multipliers of trust. Studies around the world consistently show that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals remain among the most trusted sources of vaccine information. They perform a critical dual role in immunization programs: they administer vaccines, but equally important, they explain why vaccination matters, answer questions about benefits and possible side effects, address concerns, and help patients distinguish scientific evidence from misinformation.

Regional DoH offices routinely conduct training programs for doctors, nurses, midwives, and other health workers supporting the National Immunization Program. Strengthening their ability to communicate effectively is especially important because a conversation with a trusted healthcare professional may be more persuasive than simply presenting another fact sheet or social media post.

Digital awareness as a line of defense

Digital awareness is another important line of defense. People should obtain health information from credible sources, including the DoH, the WHO, and qualified healthcare professionals. They should be particularly cautious about online posts designed to provoke intense fear, anger, or panic, especially when these encourage immediate sharing.

Before sharing vaccine-related information, people should ask where the claim came from. Does it cite credible scientific evidence? Does it link to recognized health authorities or peer-reviewed research? Is the person making the claim qualified to speak about immunology, infectious disease, epidemiology, or vaccine safety?

Reliable scientific information acknowledges uncertainty, weighs benefits against risks, and recognizes that vaccines, like all medical interventions, can have side effects. Vaccines undergo rigorous testing before authorization, while their safety continues to be monitored after they are introduced into immunization programs.

People should also resist the impulse to repost sensational claims simply to ask others whether they are true. Repeating misinformation can inadvertently give it greater reach. When in doubt, it is better to verify the information first through trusted health authorities or a qualified healthcare professional.

Promoting public awareness and strengthening health literacy are vital to fighting vaccine misinformation. Government must communicate quickly, clearly, and transparently. Healthcare professionals must remain accessible and willing to listen respectfully to patients' questions and concerns. Communities need trusted local voices who can translate scientific evidence into information people understand. Parents, teachers, media organizations, technology platforms, and individual social media users all have a role in preventing false claims from spreading.

Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines, which represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are at the forefront of developing, investing, and delivering innovative medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics for Filipinos to live healthier and more productive lives.