BACOLOD CITY - A one-month old baby was the first fatality of pertussis or whooping cough recorded in Negros Occidental.
Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said on Monday, April 15, that the infant died while confined at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) here last week, prior to the release of the official swab test result from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Currently, the province has a total of 36 probable cases of pertussis. These included five confirmed cases, and five negative cases.
Despite this, Pinongan said there was no outbreak in the province, as the situation was still manageable, and there are no reported new cases everyday.
Pinongan said the provincial government has allocated funds to purchase 10,000 doses of vaccine for pertussis and Diphtheria.
She reminded the public to refrain exposing children and infants in crowded places.