Number of confirmed polio cases may rise to seven: DOH

November 20, 2019

The number of confirmed polio cases may rise to seven, the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH disclosed they are awaiting the laboratory tests of three suspected cases of polio.

"If these cases are confirmed, we will have seven cases of polio," said Health  Undersecretary Eric Domingo in a media forum.

He said the three suspected cases also hail from Mindanao, much like three of the four confirmed cases.

"Of the four confirmed cases now, three are from Mindanao. Those we are awaiting confirmation are three additional cases from Mindanao," said Domingo.

Last September, the DOH reported two confirmed cases of polio in the country in a three-year-old girl from Lanao Del Sur, and a five- year-old boy from Laguna.

Earlier this month, the health department said  a four-year-old girl from Maguindanao, and a three-year-old girl from Sultan Kudarat became the third and fourth confirmed cases.

The three possible polio cases comes days before the DOH is set to begin its second round of synchronized oral polio vaccine campaign in Mindanao on November 25.

The National Capital Region will begin having its final round of synchronized oral polio vaccine campaign also on November 25. DMS