MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — At least five cases and two deaths of pertussis were recorded by the Mandaue City Health Office.
City Councilor Dr. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, chairperson of the committee on health, said that based on the report of the health office, most of the cases were infants.
Currently, the health office is conducting catch-up vaccinations, vaccinating those who were not able to receive vaccines during the recommended ages.
The city councilor is encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP3) to avoid getting the infection. Vaccines from the Department of Health can be availed at the city health office in Brgy. Centro
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“Sa atoa saguysoy na nga ubo sagad ana infants gyud, it is preventable and curable, antibiotics ra gyud na siya,” said Soon-Ruiz.
(For us this is the hard cough but most of those affected are the infants, it is preventable and curable, all you need are antibiotics for this.)
Pertussis or whooping cough Mandaue: Advice to parents
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is described by the World Health Organization as a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis spreads easily from person to person mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.
Soon-Ruiz is urging parents to get their babies checked whenever they have cough and fever.
Parents are also advised to always sanitize and prevent kissing their kids especially if they have cough or cold.