By Perla Lena/PNA
ILOILO — The Department of Health (DOH) has “upscaled its action points” as it tries to address the increasing cases of suspected measles cases in Western Visayas, which has already reached 359 as of February 10.
Dr. Mary Jane R. Juanico, DOH-6 Child Health Program Medical Coordinator, in a phone interview Tuesday said that from 220 suspected measles cases since they started their reporting February 9- 10, the figure has bloated to 359 cases in a span of one week, which is equivalent to around 20 cases a day.
Of the cases, the confirmed cases remain at 10 and deaths still at three with two from Negros Occidental and one from Antique.
The highest suspected cases came from Negros Occidental with 144; Antique, 101 and Bacolod City with 53.
Meanwhile, Aklan has 12; Capiz, 15; Iloilo province, 20; Iloilo City, eight and six cases from their disease reporting unit (DRU) although they are not from the region, but mostly from Negros Oriental.
“We have been discussing today, priority targets for the vaccination and we will be releasing as soon as possible updated advisory for the conduct of the immunization,” said Juanico.
She added DOH led by Regional Director Marlyn Convocar met with Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Regional Director officer-in-charge Dr. Victor De Gracia and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Evelyn Macapobre to “secure their support in the upcoming immunization for unimmunized children”.
“It’s more of coordination and for allowing our health workers to access schools and day care centers to administer catch up immunization for unimmunized children,” she said.
DepEd is now gearing to cascade to its various divisions the directive from their central office to support the school-based immunization.
Meantime, DSWD is waiting for a memorandum from their office to intensify the conduct of immunization in daycare centers and 4Ps clients.
DOH will also convene provincial and city health officers on February 13 to finalize whether or not they will conduct an earlier immunization instead of waiting for the April supplemental immunization.
“Some provincial offices signify their intention to conduct their province-wide supplemental immunization,” she added.
As per DOH data, they have to reach out to roughly 170,000 in Grades 1 and 7- and 100,000-day care children who are all unimmunized.
“With our existing health force each of the provinces has already started coordinating with their local counterparts to fast track the conduct of immunization,” she said.
