Polio survivor goes around the country to promote vaccine confidence

A man, who has been paralyzed after contracting polio at an early age, traveled all over the Philippines to urge parents and children to get vaccinated against preventable diseases.

Rodel Bataller said on Jun Veneracion's report over 24 Oras that as a person with disability, he was no stranger to discrimination.

"It's better if you called me crippled, I can accept that but if you did not offer me the job just because I have a disability, then that's bullying," Bataller said in mixed Filipino and English.

Bataller revealed that he was not able to receive his vaccine against polio because they could not afford the drugs and he had lack of information about vaccination.

Despite this, Bataller joined over 2,000 social mobilizers of Relief International, child rights group UNICEF's partner organization, in conducting an information campaign to prevent fears against vaccines.

Bataller, carrying his walking sticks, did his best to reach even mountainous areas to educate Filipinos to get inoculated against preventable diseases including polio and measles.

"Ayoko na madagdagan ang katulad ko," said Bataller.

(I don't want more people to suffer the same fate as mine.)

However, public fear on COVID-19 transmission resulted in the country's inability to reach its basic immunization target for children.

Over 1.3 million children nationwide completed basic routine immunization in 2020, which is a 30% drop from the country's target.

World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to the Philippines  Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said the failure to reach the target may also be attributed to difficulty in reaching children in far-flung areas and highly-urbanized cities in the country.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News