MALOLOS CITY—Measles claimed another victim in Bulacan when a one-year-old boy died last week in this city.
This increased the number of fatalities to three in the first three weeks of January, and five in less than two months after the death of twins in Bustos town last December. Based on records of the Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), the number of suspected measles cases in Bulacan climbed to 175 on January 24 from the 115 cases reported on January 16..
As this developed, the Department of Health (DOH) included Bulacan and Pampanga in the expanded measles immunization since January 23. Dr. Jocelyn Gomez, PPHO head, said that all children in the province aged six months to three years will be vaccinated until February 7. She explained that immunization will be conducted regardless of the kids’ status of immunization.
“All children between the age of six months and three years will be given a dose of measles vaccine,” she said noting that only those who were vaccinated in the last 28 days will be exempted. Gomez said the inclusion of Bulacan in the expanded immunization program of the DOH is meant to curb increasing cases of suspected measles in the province.
While the number of suspected measles cases continue to increase, Gomez said there was decline since January 12 based on their weekly monitoring. On the second week of this month, Gomez said that the province is placed on outbreak mode despite the fact that no outbreak is declared in the province.
This means that the province is on state of alert against measles wherein local government units along with public and private hospitals were tasked to closely monitor cases to identify possible clustering of cases.
LGUs and hospitals were also tasked to conduct awareness campaign to prevent further spread of measles in the province. Based on PPHO records, suspected measles cases in Bulacan are on the rise after more than three years of decline.
The Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU), said that for the year 2010, 203 cases were reported, of which 48 were positive; in 2011, there were 92 suspected cases with 47 positive; and in 2012, there were only 35 cases and two were positive.
In 2013, 97 cases were reported and two were positive.
