THE City Health Office (CHO) is promoting the complete immunization of children as protection against potentially deadly diseases.
City Health Officer Rodelin Agbulos, in light of the diphtheria cases reported in the village of Cawit, said the best defense against diphtheria is still complete immunization.
Based on the investigation conducted by Agbulos’s office, the medical background of all four cases reported in Zamboanga City revealed an incomplete and a lack of immunization history and record.
Two of the four cases tested positive for diphtheria by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The first positive case, a two-year old child who died last month, while the second patient was immediately transported to the Zamboanga City Medical Center for quarantine.
“We have started giving him the anti-toxin by the DOH (Department of Health),” she said, adding that the patient will have to stay in isolation and under observation in the hospital for seven to 14 days.
Agbulos said two other patients who tested negative have been discharged.
Aside from the four cases, the CHO also took additional throat swabs from immediate family members who came in close contact to the patients for testing.
All tested negative for diphtheria, according to Agbulos. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)