DOH: Measles cases nearing 14,000

MANILA, Philippines — The number of measles cases continues to rise as the Department of Health (DOH) has documented 251 more infections in two days.

The figure brought the total number of cases to almost 14,000 as of Feb. 26.

Based on a DOH report, there are now 13,723 confirmed cases of measles since Jan. 1, including the 251 recorded from Feb. 25 to 26. There were 215 recorded deaths.

The DOH said this is significantly higher than the 3,065 cases recorded during the same period in 2018. There were no deaths then.

Of the total cases, 3,234 were recorded in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), National Capital Region has 3,068 cases and Central Luzon 2,010 cases.

The health department said 8,549 of the cases were not vaccinated against measles while 235 were given only one dose and 76 with two or more doses.  

The vaccination status of the others are unknown.

This developed as the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the need for parents and caregivers to submit their children to vaccination. 

“The measles vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective and has been used in the routine immunization program in the Philippines since the 1960s,” the WHO said in a report about the measles situation in the Philippines.