Philippines whooping cough cases continue rise- 41 times higher than same period last year
In a follow-up on the pertussis, or whooping cough outbreak in the Philippines, country health officials report that the disease continues on “an upward trend”.
From the beginning of the year through April 6, 1,477 pertussis cases, including 63 deaths have been reported. This is 41 times higher than the 36 cases reported during the same period last year.
Three-quarters of the cases are in children under the age of 5 years.
This has prompted House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin on Wednesday to urge parents to have their children properly inoculated.
She said “vaccine hesitancy” was the root cause of the rising number of cases of pertussis.
Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Bicol Region were among the regions with a "continuous increase in the number of cases" during the past six weeks, according to health officials.
The country is expecting 3 million pentavalent or 5-in-1 vaccine doses by June, and is now securing diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) doses to prevent the anticipated shortfall in vaccines by May. The Philippine market continues to have stocks of pentavalent and TDaP vaccines in the private sector.
Edsel Salvana, MD with the University of the Philippines Manila discusses pertussis and the situation in the Philippines in the interview below: