MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) would be sending medical teams to one city and six municipalities in Negros Oriental to look into reported cases of measles following the declaration of an outbreak by the province’s health office, an official said Tuesday.
“We’re going to send the teams and get samples to confirm,” said DOH Undersecretary Enrique Domingo, adding that the medical teams would be checking the laboratory results as well as the clinical manifestation of the reported outbreak.
He noted the importance of gathering samples and accurate data so they can prevent further transmission of the disease.
Normally, he said, whenever there is an outbreak, the department usually orders “catch-up” immunization wherein health workers go house to house searching for unvaccinated children.
“Pag na-document na nila na talagang measles yan (Once they have confirmed that it is measles), the regular response activities, such as catch-up vaccination, would commence,” he said.
The provincial health office on Monday reported nine confirmed cases and 12 suspected cases of measles in Negros Oriental.
Of the nine confirmed, two were in Dumaguete City, two in Bacong, and one each in Mabinay, Sta. Catalina, San Jose, Siaton, and Valencia.
For the first quarter of the year, the DOH has reported confirmed cases of measles in Davao, Zamboanga, and Taguig City.
“Continuing pa din ang immunization natin sa Davao and Zamboanga (Our immunization in Davao and Zamboanga is continuing),” Domingo said. (PNA)
