DOH starts measles vaccination drive

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday started a vaccination drive in Metro Manila after 54 new cases were recorded in the past four days.

“We will not wait for an epidemic of measles to spread and affect a large number of our children. It must be stopped aggressively so that we can prevent large-scale outbreaks that can lead to serious illness and even death,” said Dr. Eduardo Janairo, DOH-National Capital Region director.

Based on the records of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit, there was a total of 233 confirmed measles cases from Jan. 1 to Dec. 14. This includes three deaths: a nine-month-old child in Caloocan, a four-month-old in Malabon and a two-year-old in Muntinlupa.

The figure is more than 600 percent higher compared to the same period last year.

Janairo noted that vaccination teams have been dispatched in Metro Manila's 16 cities and one town, “regardless of the number of measles cases” there.