Vaccinations at the Barangay Health Center


It took me 6 years to finally take advantage of the free vaccination services of the Barangay Health Center. With my third child, I have decided - and acted on it - to have him vaccinated at the center.

I grew up from a military family and my shots were all through the army hospital. So I had no idea what and how barangay health centers work. And when I gave birth to my first born, I went to the first person who offered vaccines: his pediatrician.

For years I got the vaccination services of pediatricians on my first two kids and they cost a lot - a huge amount. I didn't mind then because I was still working and it was more convenient for me to just visit the pedia at the hospital than go to a center. I was uninformed then, did not realize I could actually get some of those vaccines for free. And when I finally learned about it, the center won't accept Z anymore because she was almost complete already with her shots for the first year of life.

With Baby I, I was determined for him to get his shots at the center. A satellite health center was just a few minutes from our house and I don't mind waiting in queue because we can save thousands of pesos through this free program by the government.

Before Baby I turned one month, I visited the center to inquire. The center workers interviewed me asking where and when baby was born, where we lived, and the shots the baby already got, if any. Since Baby I already had his BCG and Hepatitis B shots at the hospital, I can bring him to the center for his first shots of Penta and oral polio. They told me to come back when baby is 6 weeks old. Also, the schedule of vaccination at the center is only during Mondays and Thursdays.

First shot

When we went back on his 6th week, the center was closed due to a barangay activity hence he got his first shot the following week.

It was crowded that day since the center was not able to provide vaccines from the previous week. There were no electric fans at the waiting area so it was a good thing I brought a fan with me.

Since we did not have any records yet, the workers just wrote down on a piece of paper baby's details and handed over his vaccination card. We then proceeded to the airconditioned room for his vaccine. The nurse wrote on his vaccination card and handed it back to us.

Baby I had fever that afternoon. Later on I found out from our pedia that shots from the center usually makes babies have fever as side effects. She was explaining the component of the vaccines which I did not understand fully, so please don't ask me what it was. Haha!



Second shot

We went back to the center four weeks after his first shot. This time the crowd was manageable. We listed baby's name first on a piece of paper para nakapila na. Another worker looked for baby's record and apparently they lost it because they asked me questions again about baby.

We were then asked to enter an airconditioned room at the end of the hallway for registration. Our paper this time has an envelope and the worker wrote a unique ID number on baby's record. I was also asked for 20 pesos. They said it was for the photocopies they will need to perform on our records. Alam ko na raw, walang budget sila sa gobyerno minsan. I just shrugged and did not mind at all.

We then went to the vaccination room for his second shot of Penta and oral polio. Later that night he started to get warm and had a mild fever the next morning.


Third shot and onwards

We will go back for his third shot after four weeks. Afterwhich the next shot will be when baby turns 9 months old. So that approximately 6 months gap.

I understood that the health center has limited available vaccines and that eventually I would have to get those from our pedia. We still go to a pedia for his monthly check-up.

The pedia of baby at the hospital where he was born recommended that we take advantage of the free vaccines at the center and just go to the hospital for the other vaccines. Since the doctor's clinic was a bit too far from us, we changed pedia and took the services of my two older kids' current pedia.

Baby I's pedia is aware of his scheduled shots at the center. And we have worked on a schedule of baby's shots with her in the next months after his third shot.

Considering the amount I paid the doctors with the vaccines of my first 2 kids before, I have concluded that I saved around 4k with just the 2 shots from the center. Imagine that.

I hoped that our government can find ways to expand the vaccines available for all. It would save families a lot of money and more importantly, save lives.

Where did you have your kids vaccinated?

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Petite Momma, ask ko po kung naopen up ba ng Pedia ninyo yung about sa Rotavirus vaccine at kung magkano? Needed po ba yun? Hindi sya available sa mga health centers. 3500/each then 3 doses. Namamahalan kasi kami.

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    2. Yes, nag Rotavirus kami. Yung 2 doses kinuha ko instead of 3. 3500 each dose

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  2. Mommy bawal na po sila maningil ngaun. Hindi na pinapayagan ung may bayad lalo na at sa ibang bagay naman pla gagamitin. Dun sa health center na pinupuntahan namin may nakapaskil pa na No Donations.

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    1. Talaga? Naku. Yung isang nakausap ko dun na nagpapabakuna, dun daw sa kung san sila galing na ibang lugar, may donation pa daw. Sa current namin wala naman except for the registration. Satellite office lang ng health center yung pinupuntahan namin so I guess it depends on their budget? They bring pa all our records to the main barangay health center to encode and in turn di kaagad naibabalik yung records sa satellite (this happened once when we were there buti wala pa kami records kaya walang hahanapin pa) kaya siguro they asked for 20 pesos for photocopying. It would be better na lang siguro if they can put a computer and internet sa satellite office.

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  3. Yes, walang donation. Bawal. Pero nung nag 1 year old si LO pinakain namin yung taga center pero bawal talaga magbayad. Laking tipid.

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  4. Nung baby si Skye ni recommend ng nanay ko na dalhin sa health center for vaccine para daw libre. So dinala ko. Paksyet! Kasabay namin may mga TB! Eh syempre tabi tabi. So ang ginawa ko pinapila ko yung tita ko tapos kami ni baby sa labas. Pero medyo mausok kasi daanan sasakyan. Tapos yung timbangan parang ewan. Basta di ko ma explain, parang baboy yung anak ko na tinitimbang. After nun, di na ko bumalik! Magbabayad nalang ako. Although I know na sa ibang health centers mas maayos. Sa amin lang yung eps. Sana ngayon mas ok na sya. :(

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    1. Nakakaloka naman!
      Yan din ang iniisip ko nung una. Thankfully, mahusay naman at maayos yung malapit na health center samin. Iba din ang araw ng check-up para sa may mga sakit, lalo na yung TB. Kaya hindi din ganun ka crowded. Mga batang magpapabakuna lang ang nakapila. Yung timbangan, di ako nagtitimbang dun. Tinatanong na lang nila since may baby book akong dala at alam nung social worker na sa pedia ang monthly checkup ni I. Amazingly naaalala nila ako each time I go there (siguro kasi ako ang nakababywear??). Haha! Yun nga lang, di natin masasabi sa ibang centers kung kamusta ang kalakaran.

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  5. Libre po ba ito sa lahat? Dito kasi sa amin ayaw tanggapin sa center yung anak ko para bakunahan kasi dapat daw nagpa checkup ako sa center nung buntis ako para daw may record ako. Ngayon, ayaw na nila tanggapin yung baby ko

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    Replies
    1. 6 weeks old po yung baby ko nung unang bakuna nya sa center.

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  6. mga mommy tanong confused lng ako ung mga vaccine ba sa health center ay same din ba sa pedia na binibigay kc kme ng baby ko from the start ng immunization nya ay sa pedia lahat kaso pricey masyado gusto ko lng kc mkasigurado bka magkaiba ng brand.

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    1. Yung pedia nung ipinanganak ang Bunso ko ang nag encourage sa akin na mag health center para sa shots kasi same lang naman daw. Pero according sa current pedia namin, may 1-2 shots na may slight differences (brand) lang sa inooffer nya pero same effect and protection din naman yun. Yung mga wala sa center ang kinuha namin na shots sa current pedia namin ngayon. No issues naman kami from the shots we got sa center. Maayos naman yung nurse na nagadminister and the center itself

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  7. Hello po momshie ask ko Lang po if may pang pneumonia vaccine din yung sa pedia ng baby mo kasi now po yung sa mga health centers may dinagdag Sila na ganung vaccine na ginagawa din daw ng mga private hospital..thanks po

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    1. Yes, may 3 shots po ng pneumonia. Yun po yung pinakamahal na bakuna ng mga anak ko sa pedia. Ang saya naman at meron na sa health center ngayon niyan, ang laking tipid.

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    2. Dona saang baranggay ka po? meron sainyong vaccine ng anti pulmonya? saamin kasi sa Antipolo wala. dadalhin ko nalang baby ko san po ba yung baranggay nyo

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  8. mommy, sa center kasi ako nagppa vaccine kay baby. 3mos siya yesterday. nabasa ko ung sa rotavirus dapat pala may ganun vaccine si baby. kaso sa chart niya wala naman ako mabasa na rotavirus .. feeling ko wala silang ganun. pano kaya to? 3mos na si baby.

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    1. Momma, sa private doctor na kami nagpa rotavirus since wala sya sa health center

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  9. Hello po mommy petite.. kahit ba kakabakuna ng baby pwede po bang isabay ang rotavirus vaccines po? Kc sa health center po baby ko mag 2 months palang po baby ko po salamat po

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    1. I can't recall ilang buwan ang babies ko nung nag rotavirus sila. May time na nagsabay ng rotavirus and tusok na vaccine ang pedia sa kanila. Best to ask po your pedia. Meron din po pedia nakaschedule sa mga center, pwede din ninyo po itanong sa kanila

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  10. Mommy ask ko lang yung 5 in 1 sa center isa isang turok ba?. Thanks

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  11. Good day. Ask ko lang po kumg magkaiba po ba ang 5in1 shot ng brgy at 5in1 shot ng private pedia? Kasi may kapitbahay po kami na gusto pong magpa 5in1 sa health cnter hindi po inallow ng doctor sa health cnter kasi daw po sa pedia sila nagpasecond dose ng hepa. Thank you po.

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    1. Ang alam ko po kasi 6-in-1 ang meron ang pedia. Yun kasi ang binigay sa dalawa kong anak. Sa center po, 5-in-1. Best pa din po na ang pedia ang magbigay po ng health advice para safe si baby.

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  12. Good day po mam.. my baby is 9mos. old already and since birth naka pedia po sya. At talagang high expense po ang mga vaccines nya kay pedia. Lhat po ng vacvines nya kay pedia nka sched na po next year mga boosters po lhat.. ask ko lang po mam, pwd ko kaya syang i'center nalang since ang next na vaccine po nya is MMR pag 1y/o na daw po sya 2 months from now. Then balik nalang ako kay pedia ulit sa mga boosters na sinabi nya. Pero yung mga new vaccines na hnd pa ininject kay pedia ay kay health center nalang? Ok lng po ba yun?

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  13. Mam ask ko lng po if pwede pa mag pavaccine ung 5yrs old na na Bata kapag kulang ung vaccine Niya nawala po Kasi ung card Niya nung baby siya palipatlipat din NG bahay mga 4vaccine palang po ata na turok sknya?

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    1. Ma'am best to ask po your barangay health center. Hindi din kasi ako familiar sa conditions nila.

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  14. Good day po. Ask ko lamg po kung free din ba na navaccine yung baby nyo sa centee ng anti hepa b? Tnx po

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