Cebu Provincial Health Office boosts measles vaccine campaign

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) is making sure all available avenues for anti-measles vaccine are open, including 24-hour express lanes in hospitals and medical teams in the grassroots level.

Dr. Rene Catan, PHO chief, said strengthening the campaign for measles vaccination is key to combating the outbreak.

"Let's increase our vaccination. That's the only thing na pwede nato magamit ron to fight against this highly-contagious disease,” he said.

Central Visayas is now among the regions in the country where the Department of Health (DOH) declared an outbreak of measles due to increasing incidence of the highly contagious disease.

The DOH-7 reported that the number of measles cases in Central Visayas shot up to 169 from January 1 to February 12.

Of the number, 119, including three fatalities, were from Cebu.

The recent fatality was a two-year-old girl from Pinamungajan town, southern Cebu.

PHO has ordered the four provincial and 12 district hospitals in Cebu to set up "express lanes" for the vaccination, both for out-patient cases and in emergency rooms, which should be available around the clock.

"So that bisa'g gabie, 24/7, kanang mga taw nga mao ray oras moadto didto, they can avail of the vaccination," Catan said.

The province has also created eight teams of medical personnel, who have started conducting "outreach" programs in barangays on February 13.

These units, along with medical teams from the 16 hospitals, will be setting up registries and going house-to-house to bring the vaccine to the patients.

Catan reminded the public that the vaccine is free, and there is adequate supply even for adults who are willing to go through the procedure. — Christele Isabela B. Basco, USC Intern KBQ (FREEMAN)