Measles outbreak spreads to regions
Credit to Author: ARIC JOHN SY CUA| Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:15:29 +0000
The Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed that measles outbreaks have been reported in various regions across the country, leaving at least 56 dead in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila), Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas.
In a news briefing on Thursday, the DoH said the three regions and 10 others — Bicol Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Caraga, Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula — were under “tight watch.”
In an email sent to The Manila Times on Thursday, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila said it had recorded 56 deaths from the measles outbreaks as of Wednesday.
In just the first month of 2019, the hospital tallied 1,550 reported cases of measles, in contrast to 2,654 cases and 68 deaths in 2018.
Most of the victims were children between three months and four years old.
No deaths were reported in the 155 reported cases reported among adults between the ages of 19 and 41.
Amid the reported measles outbreaks in the 13 regions, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a “vigorous campaign” to promote the government’s immunization program.
In a statement, Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo on Thursday said the immunization program was on the agenda of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting in Malacañang.
In Metro Manila, there were 441 reported cases with five deaths, jumping from 36 reported cases in 2018.
In Central Luzon, there were 192 cases with four deaths, rising from 32 cases last year.
Eastern Visayas (Region 8) posted the highest case increase, 54, as against one in 2018.
No deaths were reported in Mimaropa, but there were 70 cases reported, an increase from just two last year.
Mimaropa groups the provinces of Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.
Northern Mindanao (Region 10) and Soccsksargen (Region 12) each reported a drop in cases.
Soccsksargen is composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd told reporters that the 13 regions “should step up the response against this highly communicable disease, as well as ensure that preventive measures play a vital role in [reining in] the disease.”
The Health department said measles is a viral and contagious disease and could be transferred through sneezing, coughing and close contact.
Complications, it added, could cause diarrhea, middle-ear infection, malnutrition, among others, and even death.
Duque recommended immunization of and vitamin A supplementation to nine-month-old children and to others who have not been vaccinated to combat the measles outbreaks.
“Supportive measures like building the nutritional status of the sick person and increasing oral rehydration are important measures to increase body resistance and replace lost body fluids caused by coughing, diarrhea and perspiration,” he told reporters.
Despite the Dengvaxia scare, Duque said the anti-dengue vaccine should not be confused with other vaccines, as measles can be prevented with a vaccine.
“Huwag po nating ilito ang Dengvaxia sa ibang bakuna (Do not confuse Dengvaxia with other vaccines),” he added.
“The safest prevention is still through vaccines. Measles is a vaccine preventable disease,” Duque said.
Dr. Takeshi Kasai, World Health Organization regional director in the Western Pacific, encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated in order to prevent measles.
“I urge everyone to [have your children vaccinated] to prevent measles and the complications from this contagious disease,” he said on Twitter.
“The MMR [measles, mumps and rubella] vaccine has been in use for over 50 years. It is safe and effective,” Kasai said.
The vaccine scare was caused by a controversy over the Dengvaxia vaccine, which is accredited in the United States and European Union.
In announcing the President ordering Duque to step up the promotion of the government’s immunization program, Panelo said Duterte was “saddened” by the measles outbreaks.
“He [Duterte] said he directed Secretary Duque to do something about it. And Secretary Duque said [they’re] already doing something about
it. So we’re conducting massive immunization, plus information campaign, that it’s better to prevent than to cure,” he added.
The rise in measles cases came amid public’s eroded trust in the government’s immunization program because of the controversy involving the Dengvaxua vaccine, which was blamed for the deaths of some Filipino children.
In the wake of the Dengvaxia controversy, immunization coverage in 2018 slid to 40 percent from at least 70 percent in the last few years, the Health department earlier revealed.
Duterte himself urged the public last week to get vaccinated amid fears of outbreaks.
“Do not be lulled and be complacent about it because a baby really needs it. If you do not want Dengvaxia, that’s OK,” he said.
Panelo said Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta cannot be blamed for a perceived vaccine scare,which has purportedly led to the measles outbreaks in the country.
But he noted Duque believed that Acosta aggravated the situation by filing cases against him.
“Nobody blamed anybody there. But Secretary Duque was complaining how the PAO had impleaded him in several cases, and that is one of the reasons why [according to him] people are hesitant [because they lost trust in the government] because of [the] Dengvaxia [scare],” Panelo said.
Acosta has been filing criminal complaints against former and incumbent Health officials over the death of children who had been inoculated with the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.
PAO maintained that there was negligence on the part of the government in screening potential recipients of the vaccine since Sanofi Pasteur itself declared that a recipient who had not yet contracted dengue would have a greater risk of developing severe diseases.
When asked if the Palace will ask Acosta to refrain from connecting Dengvaxia with other vaccines, Panelo said, “You know, the PAO chief is responsible enough to know if her actions would result in discouraging people or children of parents to have themselves immunized. So we will leave it to her.”
“I think it’s not a matter of agreeing or not. I think it’s a matter of whether that is the reality. [Has] the scandal really discouraged [those concerned]? From the looks of it, it would seem so. In other words, it doesn’t matter who or what the Palace thinks about it. The question is: Is that the fact?” he added.
With a reports from JERRY M. HERNANDEZ AND ERNIE B. ESCONDE
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