(UPDATE) ​THE Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday that parents who fail to have their children vaccinated will not be penalized. ​The clarification follows a House of Representatives panel hearing where Health Undersecretary Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong floated the idea of imposing "minor penalties" on parents who consciously neglect to immunize their children against vaccine-preventable diseases. ​However, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the agency has no such policy. ​"We need to educate parents on the benefits of vaccines. So I repeat, we will not impose a penalty," Herbosa said in a statement. ​Citing Republic Act 10152, or the Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011, Herbosa said parents must be informed and educated about how vaccines prevent complications from long-term diseases. ​"As a doctor, we know that there are children who have contraindications to receiving vaccines. In some cases, the vaccine cannot be given to them," Herbosa added. ​He noted that the agency’s mandate is to convince parents to vaccinate their children to protect them from preventable illnesses. ​"We believe in human rights and the beliefs of our parents, whether they want or do not want [their children] to be vaccinated," Herbosa said. ​DOH spokesman Albert Domingo said that instead of imposing penalties, it would be better to improve the information drive on vaccination.