CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Pampanga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) approved yesterday a resolution recommending to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the declaration of a state of calamity in the province due to a measles outbreak.
In a Resolution No.1-S-2019, PDRRMC stated that the Provincial Health Office, through the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU), has recorded 19 deaths out of 492 cases in the Province as of February 24, this year and this is 2,360% higher compared to last year where only 20 cases were recorded for the same period.
The PESU revealed that as of February 24, Angeles recorded 53 cases with 5 deaths; Apalit 7 cases; Arayat 28; Bacolor 25, 1 death; Candaba 12, 1 death; Floridablanca 41, 3 deaths; Guagua 3, 1 death; Lubao 33; Mabalacat City 43, 2 deaths; Macabebe 5; Magalang 21; Masantol 2, 1 death; Mexico 12; Minalin 4; Porac 44, 2 deaths; City of San Fernando 78, 2 deaths; San Luis 4; San Simon 8; Santa Ana 4; Santa Rita 6; Santo Tomas 11, 1 death and Sasmuan with 17 cases.
The PDRRMC stipulated that this number of cases of measles satisfy the first criteria for the declaration of a state of calamity due to disease outbreak which indicates an unusual number of cases in a given area compared to the previous year.
However, records from the Department of Health (DOH) revealed that a total of 501 cases of measles had been recorded as of February 27 and is still increasing as the days passed by.
According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Chief Angie Blanco said the DRRMC recommended the creation of local government unit (LGU) task forces that will update the master list of areas with unvaccinated kids in preparation for scheduled vaccination.
“Bumagsak po ng bumagsak ang immunization coverage dahil sa dengvaxia scare kaya po nagkaroon ng measles outbreak,” Blanco said.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Office (PHO) Marcelo Jaochico stressed that Rural Health Units is now intensifying their monitoring and rapid coverage assessment in order to find the unvaccinated children.
“Sinusuyod po ngayon ng RHU ang bawat lugar dito sa probinsya para hanapin ang mga bata na hindi pa nababakunahan,” Jaochico said.
He also said that some patients aged 22-33 years old die of measles due to complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea, bronchitis, and dehydration.
For her part, Gov. Lilia Pineda ordered immediate medical response to persons with early symptoms of the disease.
Dubbed as “Pampanga Ligtas sa Tigdas” the provincial government held a summit recently that aims to raise awareness on measles outbreak and the importance of immunization.
