The Department of Health (DOH) stressed the dangers posed by measles and rubella.
Dr. Janis Bunoan-Macazo, Medical Officer IV of the DOH-National Immunization Focal Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, warned on Wednesday, May 10, that measles could lead to the death of a person.
Bunoan-Macazo also said that rubella could cause miscarriage among pregnant women, or the unborn baby may suffer from abnormalities, including deafness.
"Mas mild ang symptoms ng rubella pero kapag ang buntis ang nagkaroon ng rubella, maari yung baby na nasa tiyan ni mommy ay magkaroon ng mga abnormality," Bunoan-Macazo said during DILG sa DZRH Breaktime.
"Pwedeng maging bingi yung baby, pwedeng makunan, pwedeng magkaroon pa ng mas maraming conginetal anomalies, yung mga sinasabi natin na abnormalities," she added.
The DOH brought back the Chikiting Ligtas program that offers free measles-rubella, and oral polio vaccines to children.
Bunoan-Macazo said that the 2023 Chikiting Ligtas program target children who missed their measles-rubella, and oral polio vaccine shots due to the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
"Ayaw na natin maulit yung nangyari nung 2018 kung saan ang daming namatay, nagkasakit na bata dahil wala silang bakuna sa measles-rubella," Bunoan-Macazo stressed.
"Ngayon hahabulin natin, hahanapin natin, susuyurin natin kung nasaan yung mga bata na wala pang mga bakuna sa measles-rubella at saka sa oral polio. Kung meron na silang bakuna, bibigyan natin sila ng dagdag na protection," she added.
DOH urges parents to bring their children to vaccination sites in health centers, rural health units, and malls in order to avail the free vaccines against measles, rubella, and polio.
Bunoan-Macazo mentioned that the Philippines observes an upward trend in cases of measles, and rubella due to the low vaccine coverage.
She said that DOH recorded 355 confirmed cases of measles, 286 percent higher compared to the cases registered by the country in May 2022.
"After nung 2020 supplementary immunization activity natin, bumaba na yung cases natin ng measles natin pero dahil naging complacent tayo, ang mga magulang natin ay hindi makapagpabakuna, mababa ang coverage ng bakuna natin para sa measles at rubella, tumataas na naman," she said.
Meanwhile, Bunoan-Macazo said that DOH already confirmed 19 cases of rubella, 138 percent higher compared to the cases recorded in May 2022.
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DILG sa DZRH Breaktime: DOH warns of increasing cases of measles, rubella