DOH reports 70 deaths from measles cases reported in 40-day period

February 11, 2019

More than 4,000 cases of measles have been reported nationwide with 70 deaths from January to early February,  the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

The DOH - Epidemiology Bureau reported a total of 4,302 measles cases as of February 9.

The number of cases is 122 percent higher as compared to 1,935 cases during the same period last year.

Deaths reported sharply rose from only 18 last year.

Regions with high reported cases are the National Capital Region (1,296 cases and 18 deaths); Calabarzon (1,086 cases and 25 deaths); Central Luzon (481 cases with three deaths); Western Visayas (212 cases and four deaths); and Northern Mindanao (189 cases and five deaths).

“Loss of public confidence and trust in vaccines in the immunization program brought about by the Dengvaxia controversy has been documented as one of many factors that contributed to vaccine hesitancy in the country,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

Proof of this, he said, is that two out of three cases were not given measles shots. Among the deaths, 55 or 79 percent did not receive vaccination.

Vaccine confidence  slumped from 93 percent in 2015 to only 32 percent in 2018.

“We appeal to the public to rebuild your trust and confidence in vaccines that were long proven to be effective,” said Duque.

Duque urged  local government units to extend operating hours of their health centers.

“We called on the regional directors to make sure to ask mayors if they can extend the number of hours even on weekends, like up to 6 pm,” said Duque.

Duque said the DOH is considering setting up more immunization sites, such as in churches and malls, so persons do not have to go to health centers to get vaccinated. DMS