The Department of Health (DOH) said it is targeting to administer measles vaccines to around 11.1 million children aged zero to 59 months old. DOH Undersecretary and Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they are going to conduct measles supplemental immunization activities by May. “We have around 11.1 million children who are zero to 59 months old—ito po yung ating target na gusto nating bakunahan (this is our target that we want to vaccinate),” said Vergeire in a recent press briefing. “Pero (But) out of this 11.1 million children, meron po tayong specific na mga bata na less than two years old na ito po talaga ang ating pakay para hanapin sila kasi ito yung critical period where they receive their measles vaccines (our real goal is to find those less than two years old as this is the critical period where they should receive their measles vaccines),” she added. The measles immunization activities were disrupted due to  effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Vergeire. This is why the DOH will conduct a supplemental immunization drive. “It has been two years na magkaroon tayo ng gap. So imaginin niyo po yung dalawang taon na nakaipon tayo ng mga bata na walang kahit anong bakuna laban sa tigdas (that we have had a gap. So imagine the accumulated number of children without any vaccine against measles). They become the pool of susceptibles,” she said. Based on the latest DOH data, a total of 164 measles cases were recorded from Jan. 1 to March 4 nationwide. This figure is 531 percent higher compared to the 26 cases logged during the same period last year. Measles is “caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said. “The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts four to seven days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck,” it added.