DOH says Measles cases to Lessen on Early May this Year

MANILA--Department of Health secretary Francisco Duque said on Saturday that estimated number of measles cases in the country will lessen in the late  April or early May.

"The Department of Health is working side by side with other government agencies in quickly responding to mitigate the measles outbreak," he said.

He also estimated that around 12 to 13 million people should be vaccinated in the next months.

Duque led the vaccination program and talked to the mothers in Brgy. Addition Hills, Mandaluyong where hundreds of parents bring their kids to have them vaccinated for measles.

He said that barangay health centers will be opened even on weekends to provide rooms for children who need to get immunized.

DOH was also seeking to vaccinate some 7 million children from kindergarten to Grade 7.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated pregnant women were also at risk during the first trimester of their pregnancy cause it may result to miscarriage.

A health expert explained that any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected.

"Hindi pa mature 'yung lungs niya, hindi niya kayang huminga on her own. Anong danger nu'n sa bata? Puwedeng, eventually, hindi siya makahinga mag-e-expire, mamamatay 'yung baby,"  Dr. Rhacielle Magno, the chief resident of the East Avenue Medical Center OB/GYN department said.

As of now, joint ask force were implemented by the DOH and DepEd (Department of Education) to facilitate campaign on the immunization response in the different parts of the country especially to children who were most vulnerable.

“This government is conducting a massive information dissemination and immunization campaign to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated,” he said.

Duque pointed well that vaccination remained the best defense against measles.

In line with this, President Rodrigo Duterte called the public in a taped message to have children vaccinated against measles.

"Mga kababayan, dumadami ang kaso ng tigdas at ang komplikasyon nito ay pumatay. Sa mga anak natin, bakuna lamang ang tanging paraan para makaiwas sa sakit na ito." He said.

As of the record of DOH, from January 1 to February 13 the overall measles cases in the country totaled 6,921 and 115 of them died where mostly children.

Likewise, WHO (World Health Organization) expounded that measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.

Before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every 2–3 years and measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.