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Children spend time outdoors along a street in Manila on the first day of Alert Level 1 on March 1, 2022. As the country steps into the loosest COVID19 restriction, the health department said that people should still wear well-fitted masks at all times except when eating or drinking, and when engaging in physical activities in venues where physical distancing can be maintained. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

DOH records 862 total pertussis cases, 49 deaths

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Philippines recorded 862 cases of pertussis or whooping cough from January 1 to March 23, 2024, the Department of Health said Tuesday.</p><p>The DOH said that Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Western Visayas had the most number of pertussis infections.</p><p>It also reported that deaths related to pertussis rose to 49 in the same period.</p><p>The DOH said the number of pertussis cases could still change due to late consultations and reports.</p><p>&quot;The effects of increasing immunization efforts to stem the outbreak may not be seen in the data until 4-6 weeks after they are started,&quot; it said.</p><p>The health agency noted that other nations such as the United Kingdom are also seeing a &quot;sharp rise&quot; in pertussis cases.</p><p>Pertussis, or tusperina and ubong-dalahit in Filipino, is a highly transmissible and potentially life-threatening bacterial infection.</p><p>It easily spreads through droplets produced from coughing or sneezing.</p><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn36Cx_-mF0" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(93, 155, 192);text-decoration:none;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255)" target="_blank">WATCH: What is pertussis?</a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/26/pertussis-ex-gov-t-adviser-urges-mask-wearing-in-outbreak-areas-829" id="isPasted"></a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/26/pertussis-ex-gov-t-adviser-urges-mask-wearing-in-outbreak-areas-829" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pertussis: Ex-gov&#x27;t adviser urges mask-wearing in outbreak areas</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong id="isPasted">VACCINATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>According to the agency, 79 percent of the total pertussis cases <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">recorded </span>so far this year were below 5 years old. The majority of them were unvaccinated or unaware of their vaccination history.</p><p>This makes the case for aggressive vaccination of pentavalent jabs for children, as adults ages 20 and above account for only 4 percent of the total pertussis infections.</p><p>The DOH has distributed some 64,400 shots nationwide to arrest the spread of pertussis, as it awaits the arrival of 3 million additional jabs.</p><p>The agency said infants as young as 6 weeks could receive the pentavalent vaccine for free at government health centers. Children 1 to 6 years old may get a booster dose, it said.</p><p>These vaccines protect not only against pertussis but also against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Hemophilus influenza type B.</p><p>&quot;Older children, as well as adults are advised to consult a doctor or health center for advice on the appropriate vaccine. Pregnant women may ask about the &#x27;Tdap&#x27; vaccine, which allows for protection of their soon to be born babies against Pertussis,&quot; the health department said.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/21/doh-urges-vaccination-as-pertussis-measles-cases-rise-1143" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-decoration:underline;outline:0px;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255)" target="_blank">DOH urges vaccination as pertussis, measles cases rise</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/26/doh-3-million-pertussis-vaccine-doses-arriving-soonest-1120" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-decoration:underline;outline:0px;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255)" target="_blank">DOH: 3 million pertussis vaccine doses arriving &#x27;soonest&#x27;</a></div><p>The resurgence of pertussis is seen by doctors and health advocates as a setback to decades of progress made against vaccine-preventable illnesses, partly due to vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation and disinformation.</p><p>The DOH has attributed the spike in pertussis cases to the disruption in routine vaccinations in kids brought by pandemic lockdowns.</p>

<p>The Philippines on Tuesday recorded a total of 862 cases of pertussis or whooping cough from January 1 to March 23, 2024, according to the Department of Health.</p>

The Philippines on Tuesday recorded a total of 862 cases of pertussis or whooping cough from January 1 to March 23, 2024, according to the Department of Health.