BACOLOD CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) reported three confirmed cases of pertussis or whooping cough here.

Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said the patients are all girls from Barangays Tangub, Taculing, and Villamonte aged one- to three-months-old.
Tan said that of the three patients, two have been discharged from the hospital and the other is still confined. She said that close contacts of confirmed cases were given antibiotic prophylaxis.
She said that completion of pertussis vaccination is strongly encouraged in children under two-years-old.
The CHO is conducting mapping and catch-up immunization for the unimmunized and incompletely immunized zero to 23-month-old children.
She said that they are collaborating with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) and Infectious Disease Consultants for joint guidelines, advisory, and management of pertussis here and in Negros Occidental.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez here and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson recently issued a joint public health advisory on pertussis awareness.
They advised the public to be aware of the increasing number of confirmed pertussis and pertussis probable cases here and in the province.
All health facilities and stations were highly encouraged to set up a fastlane for respiratory and influenza-related illnesses.