Pilipino Express • Feb 16 2019

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Volume 15 • No. 4 • February 16 - 28, 2019 Publication Mailing Account #41721512

Nadine Lustre

Measles cases surge in the Philippines From a report by Daniel Joaquin

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The Philippines is in the midst of a severe measles crisis with more than 70 deaths out of around 4,000 patients diagnosed with measles within the past year. Davao City-based pediatrician Dr. Richard Mata, who was a consultant of former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and is now a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant on dengue, said the drop in vaccinations in the country has caused an accumulation of thousands of unvaccinated children, leading to the expected outbreak that is happening right now. Mata said measles is highly contagious in nature, making it easier for the virus to move from one host to another and cause an outbreak. Mata also said the Dengvaxia

No pain, no gain. A barangay health worker and Department of Health staff member go house-to-house to immunize children against measles in Davao City. Photo: Arjoy M. Ceniza/Mindanao Daily Mirror issue contributed to the significant drop in the number of vaccinations in children nationwide. However, he said the Philippines was never quite able to achieve its 80 percent

vaccination target in children, crediting multiple factors such as inadequate promotional drives by the government and the fact that See MEASLES p10


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