Binay orders intensified anti-measles drive

MANILA, March 8(PNA) - Acting on orders from Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay, the Makati Health Department (MHD) has deployed teams of doctors, nurses and barangay health workers to conduct home visits and door-to-door measles vaccination following reports of measles cases in some barangays.

City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Lourdes B. Salud said the teams have prioritized areas in the city where suspected cases of measles have been reported.

Salud said all cases were immediately investigated, with blood samples extracted from the patients and sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for serological testing and confirmation.

However, Salud said of the 25 reported, only one measles case has been confirmed by the RITM, a three-year-old girl who had not been vaccinated since she was born.

She said the child has recovered upon being given proper medication and vaccination.

“We are on active surveillance mode, but we are also appealing to all parents to immediately bring their children to the nearest health center or hospital the moment they show measles-like symptoms, including high fever,” Salud said.

The MHD chief also urged parents of young children, especially six months to under five years old, to have them vaccinated against measles at the nearest health center.

For many years now, Makati has been regularly implementing the annual “Ligtas Tigdas” campaign of the Department of Health, and was even able to attain ‘zero-measles’ status in 2007.

With tens of thousands of children vaccinated against measles each year, there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases recorded in the city.

MHD records show that from 109 in 2003, the cases went down to 38 in 2004, 22 in 2005, three in 2006, zero in 2007, two in 2008, and four in 2009.

“Based on city health records, we are getting closer to our goal of eradicating measles, and we are confident that through intensified immunization drive and strict monitoring, we will be able to prevent the disease from spreading in Makati on a larger scale,” Salud said.

Last February, the DOH had warned the public of a measles outbreak across the country, noting an unusually rapid increase in the number of cases reported within just one month.

Health authorities said this may have been caused by rising temperatures brought by El Niño.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects mostly children. It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.

Initial symptoms, which usually appear eight to 12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Rashes on the skin also develop after several days.

According to the World Health Organization, there is no specific treatment for measles and prevention can be done through immunization. (PNA)
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