By Nef Luczon and Ercel Maandig/PNA
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Health in Region 10 (DOH-10) said measles cases have reached 289 cases in Northern Mindanao since January 2019, including two deaths.
But Dr. Ian Gonzales, DOH-10 chief of non-communicable diseases department, said the agency has not yet declared an outbreak because most of the cases have yet to be verified.
“There are still cases (from the 289) that have yet to be verified and concluded,” Gonzales said, adding that each case must be documented and samples of the virus strain must be sent to their central office in Manila for verification.
So far, he said the virus strain responsible for the measles among children remains the same and vaccines and other treatments available in the country are still effective.
“Lucky for us, there are no anti-vaxxers in the country; it’s just that parents are not being well-informed about vaccines,” he said.
Anti-vaxxers are people who refuse vaccination for their children in the mistaken belief that it causes more harm than good.
