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Health workers prepare a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines during a general health check up for children in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, August 8, 2023. Hotli Simanjuntak, EPA-EFE/File

epa10790015 Health workers prepare a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines during a general health check up for children in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 08 August 2023. The Aceh government encouraged parents to schedule health checks and vaccinations for their children to prevent malnutrition and infectious diseases.  EPA-EFE/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK

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Children's health check-up for the prevention of malnutrition in Aceh

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171116958454911641871 (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Health workers prepare a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines during a general health check up for children in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, August 8, 2023. Hotli Simanjuntak, EPA-EFE/File"/>Health workers prepare a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines during a general health check up for children in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, August 8, 2023. Hotli Simanjuntak, EPA-EFE/File</div>MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said that around 1 million doses of pertussis vaccines is expected to arrive in June, about 3 months after the Philippines’ most populous city declared an outbreak of the disease also known as the whooping cough. The national government is expected to acquire “between 800,000 and 1 million doses” in the coming months, said DOH Spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag. “Wala kaming percent, subalit ang nasa inventory namin ay nakapagbigay ang DOH sa Quezon City ng 1,500 doses at ito ay magagamit nila at habang hinihintay yung supply na baka sa June pa dumating,” he said din a press conference. [The DOH can give Quezon City 1,500 doses, and they can use this while waiting for tthe supply that may arrive in June.]“Yung binibigay naming bakuna ay hindi naman single dose, pero multi-dose yun,” he said. [The vaccine that we will give is multi-dose.]Tayag admitted that the 1 million doses arriving in June are “not enough” as the country needs between 1.9 million and 2.1 million doses of pertussis vaccine annually to ensure that all newborn babies in the country receive the preventive jab. Among the reasons that led to the spike in pertussis cases in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2024 is the lack of vaccines and the low vaccination rate in the country, the DOH spokesperson said.<div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/21/doh-urges-vaccination-as-pertussis-measles-cases-rise-1143">DOH urges vaccination as pertussis, measles cases rise</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/22/doh-may-bakuna-laban-sa-pertussis-1759">DOH: May bakuna laban sa pertussis</a></div>“Dahil natuon ang pansin natin sa COVID muna, medyo nasakripisyo ang ibang programa,” he explained. “Hindi po ito paghuhugas ng kamay, pero ito po ang naobserbahan at nai-report hindi lamang ng Pilipinas, ngunit maging sa ibang bansa sa kasagsagan ng pandemiya,” he said. [Because of our focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, we sacrificed some of the other programs. This is not an excuse, just an observation. It has been reported not just in the Philippines but even in other countries because of the pandemic.]Public vaccination rate in the country also dropped to 65 percent in 2018 after reports of deaths allegedly due to the government-backed dengue vaccine, he said. As of March 9, the Philippines logged 167 confirmed cases of pertussis, most of which are in Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Visayas, according to data from the DOH. At least 35 pertussis patients have died, while the government continues to test more suspected cases of the disease, the DOH official said.Quezon City had earlier declared a pertussis outbreak after the city listed 23 whooping cough cases from January to March 20, including 4 pertussis-related deaths of infants below 60 days old.  Iloilo City is also mulling to declare a pertussis outbreak after it confirmed at least 10 cases this year, Tayag said. Under the Republic Act 11332 or the “Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases,” officials may declare an outbreak if there is an “occurrence of more cases of disease than normally expected within a specific place or group of people over a given period of time.” While the government is still waiting for the arrival of pertussis vaccines, the DOH has been distributing antibiotics in health centers to address the symptoms of the whooping cough, Tayag said.<div> </div>

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said that around 1 million doses of pertussis vaccines is expected to arrive in June, about 3 months after the Philippines’ most populous city declared an outbreak of the disease also known as the whooping cough.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said that around 1 million doses of pertussis vaccines is expected to arrive in June, about 3 months after the Philippines’ most populous city declared an outbreak of the disease also known as the whooping cough.

PH to get around 1M doses of pertussis vaccines in June: DOH

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PH to get around 1M doses of pertussis vaccines in June: DOH

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 23, 2024 12:58 PM PHT

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pertussis

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