BY the end of October to November this year, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) will conduct a mass immunization of children, especially infants, to curb a sudden rise in measles cases in the region.
“We are doing this to ensure that the disease will no longer infect other people. All infants, ranging from 6 months old to 59 months old, will receive one dose of any measles containing vaccine regardless of immunization status or history,” said Ruff Vincent Valdevieso, expanded immunization program coordinator of DOH-7.
Based on the monitoring of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) from January to October 13 this year, 290 cases of measles were recorded in the region, with one case of death.
Valdevieso explained that this was 559% higher compared to the same period last year when only 44 measles cases were recorded in Central Visayas.
Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental ranked first among local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas with the most number of measles cases recorded at 46.
Aside from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental also recorded 27 measles cases in Bacong, 18 in Sibulan, and 11 in Siaton.
In Cebu province, 19 cases were reported in Cebu City, 9 in Lapu-Lapu City, 7 cases each in Badian town and Mandaue City, with 3 cases and 1 death in the town of Tuburan; and in Siquijor, 10 cases were recorded in the town of Maria and 17 in Larena.
The surge in measles cases this year was attributed to the low turnout of people availing of free immunization services at local government health centers due to some fear that immunizations may not be safe.
DOH-7 assured parents that the measles vaccine is safe and proven effective.
Valdevieso said parents should therefore not hesitate to bring their children to their local health centers for vaccination.
Last March, Negros Oriental declared an outbreak due to a sudden rise in cases, followed by the province of Siquijor.
A mass immunization campaign was implemented by DOH-7 in April and May this year.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing.
Any person who has not been vaccinated or has not taken the complete dose of the vaccine may get infected with the disease.
A person should take at least two doses of the vaccine to be protected against the disease.
“We have the so called herd immunity. So herd immunity is the capacity of a community with wide coverage of residents that were immunized,” said Valdevieso.
“In that community, if there are at least one or two persons who were not vaccinated, there is a lesser chance that they will get infected with measles, because they are protected by those persons who were vaccinated,” he added.
Among the symptoms of measles are cough, redness of the eyes, teary eyes, skin rashes and fever.
“(If there are any of these symptoms) we have to consult directly a physician, especially that we still have cases of measles,” said Valdevieso warning that measles can be fatal, especially in infants as this may result to secondary infections such as pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.