[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Measles cases rise to 13 but no reg’l outbreak yet – DOH’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY IME SORNITO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Thursday, March 22, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
ILOILO City – The number of confirmed measles cases in Western Visayas has risen to 13. The Department of Health (DOH), however, is not declaring a region-wide outbreak just yet.
As of March 19, DOH Region 6 recorded 13 cases – six in Antique, three in Iloilo and four in Negros Occidental.
The Antique cases came from the towns of San Jose (3), Culasi (1), Tibiao (1) and Sebate (1) while the Iloilo cases were from Guimbal, Miag-ao and Lambunao.
In Negros Occidental, the cases were from Kabankalan City (3) and the town of Cauayan (1).
According to Dr. Mary Jane Roches Juanico, child health team leader of DOH-6, a region-wide outbreak could not be declared for now because measles cases were not widespread.
There were no reported measles cases in Aklan, Capiz and Guimaras provinces.
Local government units, however, may declare an outbreak in their turfs as they see fit such as what the provincial government of Antique and the city government of Kabankalan in Negros Occidental did, said Juanico.
On the other hand, DOH-6 said, the number of suspected measles cases rose to 42. These were in Aklan (8), Capiz (3), Antique (12), Guimaras (1), Iloilo City and Iloilo (9), and Negros Occidental (10).
It is now waiting for the results of the analysis on specimens sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Metro Manila.
Still, DOH-6 said local governments could already launch selective measles vaccination on children from nine months old to 59 months old or children below five years old who have not completed their vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella.
Of the 13 confirmed measles cases, most were children – two were less than nine months old; three were between nine months to one year old; one was between two to five years old; two were between six to 10 years old; and five were over 19 years old.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Antique and Negros Occidental have started vaccinating their staff for measles./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
