TO help in the government’s campaign against measles rubella and polio, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged the private sector to excuse their employees who will take their children to the nationwide vaccination drive against the said diseases next month.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma made the appeal in his in Labor Advisory (LA) 9 (series of 2023) to help increase the number of participants in the government’s nationwide “Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity” (MR-OPV SIA) on May 1 to May 31, 2023.
LA 9 will apply to private sector employees, who have children aged 0-months to 59-months old.
“Employers are highly encouraged to allow their employees to be excused from work when they accompany their children on scheduled vaccination, or when they must take care of their children with adverse effects or reactions to the vaccine on the day after the vaccination,” Laguesma said in his 2-page issuance.
“The concerned employee upon resumption to work shall present proof of vaccination and may likewise be allowed to utilize their available leave credits during the MR-OPV SIA subject to company policy or collective bargaining agreement granting the same,” he added.
The labor chief said companies can allow their workers to avail of the MR-OPV SIA of their local government units (LGU) or through their own vaccination drive as part of their programs for occupational safety and health or family welfare.
Firms are also encouraged to provide information on measles-rubella and polio vaccines through online and offline platforms.
Laguesma tasked the DOLE Regional Offices to promote the importance of the immunization program during its enforcement activities.
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is targeting to vaccinate over 11 million children against polio and more than 9.5 million kids against measles-rubella next month.
