Primary Health Care Overview

Primary Health Care (PHC)

• Primary Health Care (PHC) is a comprehensive approach to providing people with access to basic healthcare.
• The core aim of PHC is to improve the health of communities.
• A central principle of PHC is bringing healthcare closer to people.
• PHC aims to ensure everyone, regardless of factors like age, sex, creed, religion, ideology, or race, has access to basic health services.

Primary Health Care

• Promotes collaboration across all sectors of society
• Values partnership between public and private organizations
• Prioritizes primary care and essential public health functions as core components of integrated services
• Aims to prevent diseases, prolong life, and promote health

Multisectoral Policy and Action

• Involves functional coordination between public and private agencies
• Includes health, environment, and economic sectors
• Strives to make health for all attainable through collaborative efforts

National Immunization Program

• The National Immunization Program (NIP) is a crucial public health service aimed at reducing mortality and morbidity in infants and children.
• The NIP prioritizes providing free access to routinely recommended vaccines for Filipinos, especially those in low-income communities.
• Immunization plays a vital role in protecting individuals from diseases by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies that fight off pathogens.
• The program's core goal is to ensure that Filipinos have access to safe and effective vaccines to help prevent serious health problems.

Types of Immunity

• Active Immunity is developed through exposure to weakened or attenuated pathogens, or vaccines.
• Passive Immunity is acquired through pre-existing antibodies, like those found in breast milk.

Immunization Policies and Laws in the Philippines

• Presidential Decree (PD) No. 996 of 1976 mandated compulsory basic immunization for infants and children under 8 years old.
• Republic Act (RA) 7846 of 1994 expanded the mandatory immunization program to include Hepatitis B for infants and children under 8 years old.
• RA 10152 of 2011 replaced PD 996 and established the current legal basis for the National Immunization Program (NIP). This law mandates immunization for infants and children up to 5 years old and includes new vaccines: Hepatitis B, Mumps, Rubella, and Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib).

Immunization Program Considerations

• Caregivers should adhere to the recommended immunization schedule for their children and bring their immunization records to every visit.
• Previous doses of vaccines do not need to be repeated, regardless of the time interval between doses.
• The pentavalent vaccine is suitable for children up to 5 years old.
• Booster doses are generally not required.
• Multiple vaccines can be administered on the same day at different injection sites.
• When administering multiple vaccines on the same leg, ensure injections are spaced at least 2.5 to 5 cm apart.

Vaccine Administration Order

• Administer vaccines in a specific order.
• Begin with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), followed by Rotavirus vaccine, and then other vaccines.

Vaccine Storage and Expiration

• Utilize the "First Expiry, First Out" (FEFO) inventory management method for vaccines.
• Dispose of BCG, AMV, and MMR vaccines six hours after reconstitution or at the end of the clinic day.
• Protect BCG from direct sunlight and Rotavirus from light.

Injection Site Care

• Use cotton to clean the injection site.
• If using alcohol, ensure the area is completely dry before administering the vaccine.

Information for Caregivers

• Inform caregivers about potential side effects of vaccination.
• Provide instructions on how to manage common side effects.

Reusable Vaccine Storage

• Reusable vaccines, such as OPV, Pentavalent, Hepatitis B, and Tetanus Toxoid, can be stored for up to four weeks under specific conditions.