The Philippines has recorded a surge in measles infections in the first months of 2025, with 2,068 confirmed cases between January 1 and May 10, according to Department of Health (DOH) data.

This marks one of the highest early-year tallies in recent years and mirrors a wider resurgence across East Asia and the Pacific. Health officials warn that declining childhood immunization coverage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering distrust from past vaccine controversies, is driving the increase.

Meanwhile, dengue cases have also climbed, with more than 28,000 infections reported nationwide as of February 1, a 40 percent rise compared with the same period in 2024. The dual outbreaks have prompted government agencies, local governments, and researchers to accelerate vaccination drives and pursue innovative mosquito-control measures to prevent further escalation.

Measles Making a Comeback: What’s Behind the Numbers?

The surge in measles cases in the Philippines is not an isolated trend as it forms part of a broader regional resurgence confirmed by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

According to a UNICEF press release in May 2025, the Philippines logged 2,068 cases from January to May, while Cambodia reported 2,150 in just four months. Moreover, Mongolia documented 2,682 cases as of May 21, and Vietnam recorded more than 81,000 suspected cases across its provinces. UNICEF noted these represent the highest measles caseloads in East Asia and the Pacific since 2020, signaling that vaccine-preventable diseases are returning in force.

The scale of resurgence becomes clearer when compared with earlier data. Based on WHO records, measles cases in the Western Pacific jumped from 1,422 in 2022 to 5,044 in 2023—a 255 percent increase in just one year. Furthermore, cases climbed even higher in 2024, amounting to a 743 percent increase over two years.

In the Philippines, DOH surveillance showed 1,185 measles–rubella cases by mid-March 2025, a worrying early spike. By May, confirmed measles cases had reached 2,068, or 2,118 measles–rubella cases overall, reflecting an 8 percent increase compared with the same period in 2024.

The country’s history also underscores how fragile immunization gains can be.

In 2019, the Philippines suffered one of its worst epidemics, with over 31,000 confirmed cases and 415 deaths in just four months, following a steep decline in public trust after the 2017 Dengvaxia controversy.

More recently, in Bangsamoro, a localized outbreak beginning in late 2023 led to 2,064 cases and 14 deaths by mid-April 2024, exposing how persistently under-immunized communities remain highly vulnerable.

Health leaders warn that these statistics reflect more than numbers. Dr. Saia Maʻu Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, called the upsurge “a wake-up call,” stressing that children missing even one vaccine dose are at grave risk. Echoing this, UNICEF’s June Kunugi said: “We’re not just seeing a spike in disease, we’re seeing a signal that the systems meant to protect children are faltering.”

Why Are More Children Missing Their Vaccines?

Vaccine coverage in the Philippines has faltered for multiple reasons. According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2023 report, the number of “zero-dose” children in East Asia and the Pacific, infants who had not received any routine vaccines, doubled from 8 percent in 2020 to 15 percent in 2021, reflecting the pandemic’s impact on access.

In the Philippines alone, around 1 million children went unvaccinated from 2020 to 2022, placing the country among the top five globally for zero-dose children.

Moreover, research on COVID-19’s impact revealed that 95 percent of countries in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific reported disruptions in routine immunization, with 91 percent of vaccine antigens affected and infant vaccinations most severely hit.

By June 2020, nearly 40 percent of those vaccines had yet to recover. Compounding this, public hesitancy from the Dengvaxia controversy left many families wary of routine immunizations.

Behind these statistics lies a heavy human cost. Each number represents a child at risk, a parent burdened with uncertainty, and a nurse striving to deliver vaccines to remote barangays. Measles can cause pneumonia, brain damage, and death, tragedies that are preventable, yet persist.

HERE’S A HEALTH RECORD FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS

Dengue on the Rise – and Communities Innovating

While measles reveals the cracks in immunization, dengue highlights the urgency of community-led innovation in disease control.

In February 2025, Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City introduced a controversial scheme: residents earned one peso for every five mosquitoes or larvae they captured.

According to the Associated Press report, the Philippines had already recorded 28,234 dengue cases by February 1—a 40 percent increase from the previous year, prompting the desperate measure.

However, critics warned the scheme could incentivize breeding mosquitoes for cash. Village officials promised to stop the campaign once cases subsided, while health authorities urged proven strategies such as destroying breeding sites and seeking early treatment.

Meanwhile, national experts at the 8th Asia Dengue Summit in Quezon City stressed that combating dengue requires a combination of vaccination, community engagement, and vector control.

On the research front, the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) is testing eco-friendly repellents made from cinnamon bark, almaciga resin, and pili byproducts. Although early trials show promise, researchers caution that more validation is needed before the products can be scaled up.

Lessons from Abroad: Models for the Philippines

Other countries offer solutions the Philippines can adapt. In India, a Measles–Rubella campaign vaccinated 348 million children from 2017 to 2023, cutting measles incidence by 62 percent, according to WHO India.

Pakistan carried out a similar campaign reaching more than 90 million children with WHO and UNICEF support. Regionally, UNICEF–WHO data show that South Asia raised measles vaccine coverage to 93 percent (MCV1) and 88 percent (MCV2) in 2024, reducing cases by 39 percent compared with 2023.

In Viet Nam, a March 2025 directive expanded outbreak-response vaccination to wider age groups and strengthened vaccine supply chains—moves praised by WHO and UNICEF.

For dengue, innovative approaches abroad provide guidance. In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes cut dengue by 77 percent and hospitalizations by 86 percent, according to a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Meanwhile, in Niterói, Brazil, city-wide Wolbachia deployments sustained large reductions for five years, averting about 75 percent of expected cases during the 2024 surge. Brazil also began public vaccination with Qdenga in 2024, targeting children aged 10–14, according to a report from Reuters.

Furthermore, Singapore’s national Gravitrap network enables real-time mosquito surveillance and rapid enforcement, as documented in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

A Call for Action

These dual health crises, measles and dengue, reveal both the vulnerabilities and resilience of Philippine public health.

For measles, the solution lies in closing vaccination gaps through stronger systems and rebuilding trust. For dengue, progress depends on combining scientific innovation with local creativity and collaboration.

At the core is one truth: preventable diseases should no longer claim Filipino lives. Whether through immunization catch-ups or community mosquito control, each step forward brings the country closer to a healthier future for its children.

DISCLAIMER

This article provides general information and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider for personalized recommendations. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.