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Thursday, December 04, 2003
Measles cases increasing in RP: DOH
THE Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday said there could be an epidemic of measles as shown by the number of cases recorded since 1998.
Health Sec. Manuel Dayrit issued the warning as he announced a major campaign next year to totally eliminate measles in the country, which has been the cause of mortality among young children.
Based on DOH records, 12,000 to 24,000 measles cases are reported to the department yearly with 150 to 350 children under the age of five who die annually of the viral disease.
"It is the next important step towards measles elimination in the country after the launch of the Philippine Measles Elimination Campaign in September 1998," Dayrit said.
While noting that the 1998 campaign on measles elimination was a "success," they cannot discount the possibility of an outbreak since health authorities only conduct routine immunization after a major vaccination drive five years ago.
Dayrit said 26.5 million children in the country aged nine months to 14 years old were vaccinated against measles in 1998, which covered 96 percent of their estimated target at that time.
Dayrit explained that the 2004 campaign, billed as Ligtas Tigdas 2004, was able to receive from the Japanese Government US$7.8 million worth of measles vaccines and supplies needed for the Philippines' measles follow-up campaign scheduled on Feb. 2 to 29, 2004.
At least 18 million children from nine months to eight years old are the targets of the government anti-measles campaign next year.
(December 4, 2003 issue)
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