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Get booster shots vs pertussis every 10 years, says health expert

Article (news)

Arra Perez

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1712148258986pert.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);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;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">A child receives vaccination administered by the Department of Health. <em style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);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;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div><div> </div>MANILA -- Pertussis or whooping cough usually hits infants, but it can also affect children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly, a pediatric infectious disease expert said.Dr. Anna Ong-Lim, professor and chief of the Philippine General Hospital&#x27;s (PGH) Division of Infectious and Tropical Disease in Pediatrics, explained that while babies are the common victims of pertussis, the older population must also do its best to help prevent the illness.&quot;Isipin mo iyong epekto na lang ng ubo ka nang ubo to the point na hindi ka halos makahinga. Siguro kung adult, mas kaya mong habulin iyon. Pero ang sanggol, anong nagiging epekto? Iyong pagkawala ng oxygen sa utak, iyong pagtigil ng paghinga, na eventually nagiging cause ng kanilang pagkamatay,&quot; she told ABS-CBN News.(Think of the effect of constant coughing until one can almost no longer breathe. Adults can likely cope with it, but what is the effect on babies? Loss of oxygen in the brain and a stop in breathing, which eventually causes death.)&quot;So smaller infants have more severe disease; older individuals have, I would say, moderate to severe disease, or even mild disease na mas kinakaya ng katawan nila (that their bodies can still handle),&quot; she added.&quot;Pero nagkakahawaan lahat iyan (But they can all pass the infection).&quot;<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/3/doh-records-862-total-pertussis-cases-49-deaths-804" id="isPasted">DOH records 862 pertussis cases, 49 deaths </a></div>This is also the reason why all age groups must be vaccinated against pertussis.Babies should receive three doses at the 6th, 10th, and 14th week, Ong-Lim said.The &quot;recommended schedule&quot; should be followed by a booster when the baby turns 1 year, then at 4 years old, plus a booster every 10 years.She also recommends vaccination for pregnant women.&quot;Paano nga ngayon iyong mga younger than 6 weeks? Kaya natin inirerekomenda pati sa mga buntis na sila ay mabakunahan kasi kung pregnant sila at vaccinated sila, doon sa unang 6 weeks ng buhay ng baby na hindi pa siya pwedeng bakunahan, nakatanggap naman siya ng protection galing sa kanyang mommy,&quot; she said.(What about babies younger than 6 weeks? That&#x27;s why we recommend pregnant women to be vaccinated, so that during the first 6 weeks the baby receives protection from their mommy when they cannot yet be immunized.)But Health Sec. Ted Herbosa said the proposal needs to go through a process before being implemented.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/27/28-new-cases-of-pertussis-4-deaths-recorded-as-doh-catches-up-on-vaccination-1707" id="isPasted">28 new cases of pertussis recorded as DOH catches up on vaccination</a></div>&quot;Ang problema, hindi pa namin ma-implement iyan sa DOH kasi iyong DTAP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) kailangan pang ipa-recommend... dadaan muna sa National Immunization Technical Advisory Group... Pero sa private available iyan, magbabayad ka lang,&quot; Herbosa said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo on Wednesday.(The problem is, that has yet be implemented by the DOH because the DTAP vaccine needs to be recommended via the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group. But this is available in private--you just have to pay for it.)<div>&#x27;NO OVERDOSE IN VACCINES&#x27;</div>Ong-Lim said for children, adults, and senior citizens who do not know if they have been vaccinated against pertussis, they can still get their shots because there is no such thing as &quot;overdose&quot; in vaccines - but this is usually done in private clinics and out of pocket.Booster shots are also unavailable in public health centers, whose free vaccines mostly cater to infants.&quot;Actually, itong formulation na nasa health centers, hindi na natin pwedeng ibigay sa mga tumatanda pa doon. Hindi kasi magiging mabisa at, typically, nagkakaroon din ng mas matitinding local site reactions tulad ng pamamaga, pamumula na medyo iniinda rin ng pasyente,&quot; she explained.(The formulation in health centers cannot be given to older patients. It will not be effective and typically can cause more extreme local site reactions like swelling and redness that can bother them.)&quot;Pero sana dahil nakita na nga natin kung gaano kalaki itong problema na ito, magkaroon ng re-evaluation kung pwede nga bang isama sa programa,&quot; Ong-Lim added.(But I hope since we&#x27;ve now seen how big the problem is, we re-evaluate if vaccines for older patients can be included in the program.)The Department of Health (DOH) said &quot;there is a way&quot; for children, adolescents, adults, and pregnant women to get free booster shots against pertussis, starting &quot;with analysis based on available data&quot;.&quot;In a situation with limited resources, the DOH is choosing to protect the most vulnerable first, and is open to exploring ways to make access to the vaccines easier for the other population groups,&quot; the agency said in a statement.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/2/doh-prioritizes-most-vulnerable-for-pertussis-vaccine-1127" id="isPasted">DOH prioritizes &#x27;most vulnerable&#x27; for pertussis vaccine </a></div>The Health department is also anticipating the arrival of 3 million doses of vaccine.&quot;Originally, ang sinabi namin na (our original) timeline was looking at at least 1 million by June. But we are looking forward to fast tracking... Kung mapadating natin ito nang mas maaga, mas mabuti (If we can bring the medicines earlier, the better),&quot; DOH assistant secretary Albert Domingo said.Health centers are also encouraging parents to bring their babies to health centers to get their pertussis and other routine vaccines.&quot;Marami po nagpapabakuna sa amin every day... Bumababa rin po kami sa barangays para magpabakuna,&quot; shared Amalia Del Mundo, nurse-in-charge at Manila&#x27;s Esperanza Health Center.(Many get vaccinated daily. We also go down to the barangays/villages to vaccinate.)&quot;Napakahalaga po na mabigyan ng proteksyon ang mga bata para sa vaccine-preventable diseases,&quot; she added.(It is very important to give children protection for vaccine-preventable diseases.)Doctors remind the public that pertussis can be prevented through vaccination, avoiding those who are sick, wearing of face masks especially in crowded areas, handwashing, and getting enough rest to boost one&#x27;s immune system.<div>ADULT VACCINATION</div>Ong-Lim stressed that vaccinating the older population is as important as getting shots for infants and children.&quot;Iyong babies na hindi pa natin pwedeng bakunahan, ang proteksyon nila manggagaling sa ibang members ng household na protektado... Kung ang individual ay protektado, mas maliit ang tsansa na mahawa siya at manghawa pa ng iba... Sana i-review ng bawat household kung sino-sino ang qualified, sino na ang behind para magpagpabakuna ulit,&quot; she said.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/3/27/cavite-declares-state-of-calamity-after-pertussis-outbreak-009" id="isPasted">Cavite declares state of calamity after pertussis outbreak </a></div>(Babies who cannot be vaccinated get their protection from other household members who are immunized. If one individual is protected, the chance is less that they get sick or pass on the illness to others... I hope each household reviews who are qualified to be vaccinated and who are behind on their shots.)She also reminded those feeling ill to avoid interacting with other household members to prevent passing infection.

MANILA -- Pertussis or whooping cough usually hits infants, but it can also affect children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly, a pediatric infectious disease expert said.

MANILA -- Pertussis or whooping cough usually hits infants, but it can also affect children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly, a pediatric infectious disease expert said.