BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO CITY – As cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and cholera here continue to increase, the city government is procuring vaccines against cholera.
According to City Health Office (CHO) officer-in-charge Dr. Annabelle Tang, there are around 2,000 doses of vaccines which the city government is set to purchase in Cebu.
Because of the limited number of doses for now, the CHO will prioritize those who have recovered and their household members who are at high risk of getting the diseases, too.
“The vaccine is for those nga nagmasakit kag wala pa nagmasakit—kay kon magmasakit ka sang cholera wala sya lifetime immunity. We will also give the vaccine sa mga relatives or household members sang nagmalasakit kay high risk na sila,” Tang said.
She added that barangays with clustering of AGE and cholera cases will be prioritized for the vaccine.
Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW), the water distributor here, also signified interest to procure and donate cholera vaccines.
The vaccine can be administered to individuals one year old and above.
“We will try also to look for some more vaccines kay ti may naaprubahan naman ang city council nga fund para mausar sa mga kinanglanon,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The city is currently under the state of calamity because of AGE and cholera cases. The city council earlier passed a resolution placing the city under the state of calamity and along with it was the approval of the P12.5 million quick response fund to be used for various needs to combat the disease including the procurement of the vaccines and medicines.
As of Sept. 11, the cases of AGE in Iloilo City have already reached 522 including the 12 confirmed cases of cholera, based on the record of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU).
Of the figure, 456 have already recovered, 35 remain admitted at the hospital, 20 are being managed at home, and 10 died./PN
