By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Local governments should intensify their vaccination efforts against Pertussis to support the Department of Health (DOH) in its catch-up vaccination campaign, Senator Win Gatchalian stated on Monday (April 4, 2024).
“Given the ongoing rise in Pertussis cases, we must bolster our vaccination efforts to protect our fellow citizens, especially children at higher risk of contracting the disease,” Gatchalian emphasized.
“The safety and efficacy of vaccines against diseases have been proven, thus we urge LGUs to ramp up vaccination efforts,” he added.
According to the DOH, the total number of Pertussis cases is already 30 times higher than the figures reported at the same time last year.
The department also documented 49 deaths attributed to Pertussis since the beginning of the year.
Furthermore, the department noted that 79 percent of infected patients were children younger than five years old, with six out of ten either unvaccinated or having an incomplete vaccination history.
On Monday, the DOH issued a Pertussis alert in Calabarzon.
(el Amigo/MNM)
