Measles, complications kill 70 nationwide in a month –DOH

FILE: Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (Photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA)

As the Department of Health (DOH) declared a measles outbreak in several areas in Luzon and Visayas, it then reported that at least 70 already died because of the disease and its complications in just a month.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told reporters on Monday, February 11 that a total of 4,302 cases of measles were recorded by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau from January 1 to February 9 this year.

There was an increase of 2,467 when comparing this data to the same span last year, which was only at 1,935. While, the deaths due to measles recorded last year was only at 18 nationwide, when for this year’s report, that is the figure for the deaths in Metro Manila only.

In DOH’s latest report, Metro Manila is the area with the highest cases at 1,296.

This is followed by the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region with 1,086 cases and 25 deaths.

Central Luzon had 481 cases and three deaths, Western Visayas with 212 cases and four deaths, and Northern Mindanao at 189 cases and two deaths.

The Dengvaxia mess is one of the reasons that Duque is pointing to as to why the measles outbreak worsened because parents hesitated and refused to have their children vaccinated.

A few days ago, Duque in a press conference said that the DOH is expanding the outbreak from Metro Manila to other areas in the country.

[READ: Measles outbreak also declared in other areas of Luzon, Visayas]

“We are expanding the outbreak from Metro Manila to the other regions as cases have increased in the past weeks and to strengthen the surveillance of new cases and alert mothers and caregivers to be more vigilant,” the DOH chief had said on February 7.

Duque then added that as of January 26, 2019, their department saw an “increasing trend” in the number of measles cases in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), and Bicol region.