CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Health on Saturday said that a one-year-old boy from Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija is the 17th confirmed case of polio in the Philippines.
The outbreak of the disease, which can cause paralysis and prove fatal in rare cases, was declared in the Philippines in September 2019.
There is no known cure for polio and it can only be prevented with several doses of oral and injectable vaccines.
Polio re-emerged in the Philippines after the country was battered by successive measles and dengue outbreaks resulting from lower vaccination rates.
“The #polio outbreak in the Philippines is not over,” World Health Organization Philippines posted on social media after the announcement of the 17th case.
“We continue to remind parents and caregivers to bring their children to health centers for their polio drops and shot as part of the routine immunization programme,” the organization added. Philstar.com (FREEMAN)