MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has cautioned parents and guardians from kissing their babies on the lips amid the rising cases of pertussis or whooping cough.
Undersecretary Eric Tayag said in a presser that the highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection can be transmitted through lips-to-lips contact.
“Sa mga mommy natin na may baby o bagong silang na sanggol, iwasan muna natin ang lips to lips sa kanila dahil tumataas ang kaso ng pertussis,” Tayag said.
He added: “Kung may konting sipon tayo (pero) kailangang kumarga sa mga baby, mag-mask muna tayo. Maghugas ng kamay.”
Tayag also encouraged parents and guardians who have babies as young as six weeks old vaccinated from pertussis.
Pertussis, which causes influenza-like symptoms like mild fever, colds, and coughs seven to 10 days after exposure, may be transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs within three feet.
Children infected with pertussis may also experience apnea or the stopping and restarting of breathing while asleep, difficulty in breathing, and vomiting.
Currently, two areas in the Philippines have declared an outbreak of pertussis – Quezon City and Iloilo City.
DOH previously said an additional three million more pentavalent vaccine doses are expected to arrive in the Philippines “at the soonest possible time.”
The pentavalent vaccine is said to protect not only against pertussis, but also against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and haemophilus influenzae type B./PN
