The Department of Health declared a measle outbreak in several areas in Luzon and Visayas.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that recorded cases of measles or tigdas in Metro Manila from January 1 to February 6, 2019 is already at 196, which is 550% higher compared to the same period last year.
According to Mayo Clinic, measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by a virus. It can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine, but it can also be serious and even fatal for small children.
Records also showed that 55 individuals, most of them children aged 3 months to 4 years old, have already died due to measles at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila alone, and as of Tuesday morning, at least 248 children were being treated for the disease at the same hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jesse Fantone, chief of the DOH’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, confirmed the outbreak in Central Luzon due to the 442 suspected cases of measles as of February 2.
In an interview with ANC, DOH spokesperson Roland Domingo said that they are now monitoring areas, such as Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the Caraga Region, because of the outbreak.
DOH also expanded the declaration of the measles outbreak in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
DOH officers are also urging parents to get their children vaccinated, especially since they are free in local health centers.
They added that parents should immediately bring their children to a health facility if they are already experiencing early symptoms of measles for treatment.
