ABOUT 12 out of 21 cases of measles had already been confirmed in Negros Oriental a week after the Department of Health (DOH-7) regional office declared a measles outbreak in the province.
DOH regional director Jaime Bernadas said they initiated an outbreak response immunization program in the province in coordination with the local health offices and barangay health centers.
“Since the provincial government of Negros Oriental gave the go-signal for a province wide response, we will map out all six months old to five-year-old children and make sure that they’ll be vaccinated,” Bernadas said.
Bernadas said most of these cases are adults who can become a carrier of the virus that can infect toddlers especially those that were not vaccinated.
“The disease itself is not fatal, but children who will get infected with measles can acquire complications of bronchopneumonia which can be fatal,” he said.
The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine can be bought at P700 to P1,000 through a licensed private health practitioner. But Bernadas said these vaccines are available in barangay health centers for free.
“We are giving two doses of the vaccine. The second one is a booster in order that a person can acquire full immunity against measles virus,” he said.
Bernadas said there are no measles cases recorded in Cebu as of now. He also urged parents to complete the immunization of their children to avoid future incidents of measles outbreaks.