• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With 89 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, including five deaths in Region 6, the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health and Development advised the public not to be alarmed but to be aware and alert of its symptoms.
Pertussis is treatable and preventable, said Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH regional director for Western Visayas.
Its symptoms include mild cough and cold, followed by outbursts of cough that lasts up to six weeks. Low grade fever maybe present on infants, who may manifest bluish skin appearance (cyanosis) upon coughing, according to DOH.
Of the 89 pertussis cases from January to April 1 this year, 22 are laboratory confirmed, 46 are probable, 21 are negative cases, and five deaths, DOH records showed.
The province of Iloilo registered the highest number of pertussis at 48, followed by Iloilo City with 17 cases and eight in Negros Occidental.
Iloilo City, through its Sangguniang Panlungsod, has declared an outbreak of pertussis and placed the city under a State of Calamity.
One of the primary reasons for the increase of pertussis cases, according to Suba-an, is the low immunization coverage in Western Visayas.
He said that immunization coverage has taken a drastic turn for the worse, as the pandemic hit the country, with most of the health workers in health facilities overburdened by the workload as vaccinators for both routine immunization in children and COVID-19, he added.
The DOH-WV-CHDS and local government units have requested the DOH central office for additional stocks of pentavalent vaccine for the continuous implementation of immunization services to children, and in preparation for the outbreak response immunization, Suba-an said.
Pertussis is a respiratory disease, which can be transmitted from person to person through coughing or sneezing. It can be prevented by good respiratory hygiene and practice of minimum public health standards, such as covering of the mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing, regular washing of hands with clean water and soap, and the use of hand sanitizers.
Suba-an urged the community to take preventive measures to protect vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, infants who are not yet eligible for immunization, and those who are under-immunized. | GB
