A three-month-old baby girl in Tuburan town, believed to afflicted with measles died last March 28.
Provincial Health Office (PHO) Head Dr. Rene Catan said the baby was from Barangay Putat and reportedly showed symptoms of measles last March 17.
A case investigation by the Department of Health showed that the baby had fever, rashes, cough, a runny nose and red eyes.
She was brought to the Tuburan District Hospital last March 26, or nine days after the symptoms manifested.
Two days later, she was transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and died on the same day.
The baby’s mother, Dyna, also experienced the same symptoms but recovered.
Records showed the baby was not vaccinated for measles as her father refused, after the Dengvaxia vaccine snafu.
Catan said some parents were afraid to have their children undergo vaccination especially with the issue on Dengvaxia.
“Tungod aning Dengvaxia kay napagan ang uban. Mao ni scare nato ron maapektuhan na karon ang atong immunization program,” he said.
(Because of the Dengvaxia controversy, other programs have been affected. This is our fear, that our immunzation program would be compromised.)
He said even the twenty-year-old mother showed no records of receiving the same vaccines when she was young.
Child Care Nurse Coordinator Maria Lorraine Gimperoso of PHO said measles vaccines are usually given to children nine months and above. But if there is an outbreak, even six month old babies are vaccinated.
Gimperoso said they will conduct a house to house measles immunization program for six to eight-month- old babies in Tuburan town.
“Mas earlier ilang vaccination for their prevention,” she said citing the recent death of the three-month-old baby.
She said they are still crafting a master list and will start the immunization in Tuburan immediately.
Catan said the vaccination program is mandated by the constitution.
“One of the roles of the government is to make sure that its population is healthy and immunization is one of those highlighted programs,” Catan said.