THE World Health Organization (WHO) denied reports on Friday, November 17, 2023, that coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination data from the Philippines may have been compromised when its system was hacked.
In a statement, WHO Philippines said there is no truth to reports that personal data of those who have been given Covid-19 shots in the Philippines have been compromised in a cyberattack.
"Reports that a data breach linked to WHO or WHO-hosted databases has occurred are false and inaccurate," said WHO Philippines.
It said this is because the WHO does not collect, process, or store any personally identifiable information, such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers, in relation to Covid-19 immunization.
"WHO does not have access to underlying personal data, which is the exclusive domain of governments," said the global health agency.
It noted how the WHO only collected from national health authorities around the world data that is aggregated at a population level, such as the total numbers of Covid-19 infections, deaths, and vaccine doses administered in the country.
"These data are crucial for monitoring the progress of Covid-19 vaccination efforts nationally and globally," said the WHO.
On November 13, the Department of Information And Communications Technology (DICT) reported that personal information related to the Philippines’ Covid-19 vaccination program may have been compromised following a reported hacking of the WHO database.
The Department of Health (DOH), in response, said it is already coordinating with the WHO and the DICT to ascertain the veracity of the report, determine the extent of any possible data breaches, and the on the needed appropriate interventions. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)
