The Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,817 measles cases nationwide from January 1 to April 13.
DOH Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Albert Domingo revealed during an interview with PTV Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Tuesday, April 23, that this figure represents a significant increase of 4.85 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
Contrary to common misconceptions, Domingo clarified that measles is "not linked to heat" but is caused by a virus, making it a year-round threat.
He noted that the spread of the disease typically surges during increased gatherings, particularly among children, often occurring during the summer months.
"Nakikita natin 'yung pagkalat nito, typically tumataas lang sya sa mga panahon na mas maraming pagtitipon, ang mga bata ay nagsasama-sama at usually nangyayari ito tuwing summer (We see its spread typically increasing during times of gatherings, when children come together, and usually happening during summer)," Domingo said.
Highlighting a global trend, Domingo underscored that the rise in measles cases is not only in the Philippines but worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
He attributed this to a “lack of vaccination,” because of pandemic-related lockdowns.
Of particular concern is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which accounts for 48 percent of measles cases, followed by region 3 with eight percent.
"Nakatutok tayo ngayon sa BARMM, mayroon tayong measles outbreak response immunization (We are currently focusing on BARMM, where we have measles outbreak response immunization)," he said.
Domingo added that the DOH launched a measles outbreak response immunization program in BARMM on April 1, aiming to vaccinate 1.3 million children under 10 years old.
"We aim to vaccinate 1.3 million children from babies up to less than 10 years old in BARMM," he said.
Domingo highlighted that this initiative aims to establish a perimeter of immunity, commonly referred to as a ring of immunity, through vaccination.
"Dahil dito, we will cut the spread of the disease so fino-focus natin ngayon sa BARMM (Because of this, we will cut the spread of the disease, so we are currently focusing on BARMM)," he said.
As of now, he revealed that one million individuals in BARMM have been vaccinated, edging closer to the target.
"The good news is there are a lot of vaccines available for measles sa mga government health centers (The good news is there are plenty of measles vaccines available at government health centers)," Domingo said.
He reminded individuals to promptly bring unvaccinated children to government health centers where the measles vaccine is provided free of charge, urging parents to ensure their children receive both doses of the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, saying, “There’s still a second dose.”
Difference between measles and pertussis
Meanwhile, Domingo explained the differences between measles and pertussis.
"Ang measles kasi ay caused by a virus at ang pertussis ay bacteria at mayroong antibiotic na pwedeng gumamot dito (Measles is caused by a virus, while pertussis is caused by bacteria, and there is an antibiotic that can treat it)," he said.
"Sa measles ay hindi natin kayang gamutin 'yung mismong measles virus, ang ginagawa naming mga doktor is what you call symptomatic treatment (For measles, we cannot directly treat the measles virus itself; what doctors do is what you call symptomatic treatment)," he added.
Domingo highlighted that symptoms are treated, noting that measles symptoms resemble those of pertussis, such as mild cold, cough, and fever.
"Pero ang measles ay mayroong rashes or pantal, at ang pantal ay nagsisimula sa ulo at bumababa (But measles has rashes or spots, and the spots start from the head and move downwards)," he explained.
"Mayroon din tayong isang sintomas tinatawag na 'pag binuksan ang bibig ng bata ay mayroong maliliit na puti puti sa loob nito (We also have another symptom called Koplik spots, where small white spots can be seen inside the child's mouth when it's opened)," he said.
He emphasized the alarming potential complications, including fatal pneumonia and encephalitis.
"So these are things we don't want to happen," he said.
Regarding the declaration of outbreaks, Domingo said that it is within the jurisdiction of local government units (LGUs) but should be based on scientific evidence, as stipulated in Republic Act 1223, which governs notifiable diseases.