Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Eric Tayag revealed concerning statistics regarding the resurgence of measles and pertussis (whooping cough) in the Philippines.

Tayag disclosed on Monday, March 25, that over the past six months, more than 2,600 measles cases have been reported nationwide, with 4,000 cases recorded in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

He said that outbreaks have been identified in Lanao Del Sur, Lanao Del Norte, and Surigao Sulu.

Tayag, during an interview with PTV Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is currently there along with DOH BARMM health officials to "investigate and address this immediately because vaccination needs to start for children here as early as six months."

He also reported that as of March 10, there have been 453 cases of Pertussis with 35 deaths in the first 10 weeks of the year, an increase compared to 23 cases during the same period last year, prompting Quezon City to declare a Pertussis outbreak last week.

"Dalawampu’t apat na bata na ang namatay at ang Quezon City ay nagbabakuna na ngayon (Twenty-four children have died, and Quezon City is currently vaccinating)," Tayag said.

Low coverage of fully immunized children

Related to this, he highlighted that despite measles and pertussis being included in the vaccination routine, outbreaks persist due to “low coverage” of fully immunized children in the Philippines.

"Pumalo lamang ito sa 72 percent, at hindi maiiwasan ang outbreak dahil taun-taon ay dumadami ang bilang ng tinatawag nating susceptibles o mga 'di nabakunahan (It only reaches 72 percent, and outbreaks are unavoidable because every year the number of susceptibles or unvaccinated individuals increases)," he explained.

Catch-up immunization efforts

To combat the escalating crisis, Tayag said that the DOH has initiated “catch-up immunization efforts,” targeting measles, rubella, and oral polio vaccines.

He pointed out that catch-up immunization efforts for measles, rubella, and oral polio vaccine last year achieved only an 84 percent coverage rate.

"Para maging mataas ang protection ng measles vaccination, kailangan ay hindi bababa sa 90 percent ito (To achieve high protection from measles vaccination, it should not be lower than 90 percent)," he emphasized.

"Kung gusto nating ma-eliminate ang measles, hindi bababa dapat sa 96 percent (If we want to eliminate measles, it should not be lower than 96 percent)," Tayag added.

Meanwhile, regarding the pertussis vaccine, he stressed that it is administered as early as six weeks old for infants.

"And it will be given two more times, one month apart, and the vaccine used here is the five-in-one," Tayag said.

Tayag also highlighted that, besides the decline in vaccinations, parental forgetfulness, complacency, or reluctance to vaccinate their babies could contribute to the measles and pertussis outbreaks.

"Now, local governments and doctors are encouraged to continuously remind mothers to have their babies vaccinated," Tayag said.

He stressed that despite challenges, there are still health centers equipped with vaccine supplies, urging parents to avail of free vaccination services for their babies.

Measles and Pertussis vaccine

On the other hand, Tayag highlighted the availability of measles vaccines while noting “challenges” in accessing pertussis vaccines.

"In fact, in Quezon City, what Mayor Joy Belmonte is currently doing is making an emergency purchase of the pertussis vaccine, although the DOH-NCR has already provided 1,500 doses of the five-in-one vaccine to Quezon City," he said in Filipino.

Related to this, Tayag issued a caution regarding the potential spread of pertussis to neighboring areas, urging heightened vigilance and reporting of suspected cases.

"Maraming lugar ngayon ang nasa alerto, inaasahan namin na dadami pa ang bilang na mai-report (Many areas are on alert now, and we expect the number of reported cases to increase)," he said.

Pertussis misconception

Meanwhile, Tayag clarified common misconceptions about pertussis, emphasizing that not all reported coughing cases are immediately pertussis-related.

"Sa baby, 'yung taas baba ng dibdib ay biglang hihinto ito at nakakatakot ito dahil maaaring mangitim ang bibig at ito ang tanda ng tusperina or pertussis (In babies, the sudden stopping of breathing and turning blue are scary because it could indicate pertussis)," Tayag said.

He also clarified that older children and adults are susceptible to pertussis which is characterized by severe coughing fits.

"Ito ay sunud sunod at hindi ka makakatulog sa gabi, pero ang magandang balita, 'pag ikaw ay nahawa at nagkasakit, mayroong gamot na antibiotic (It's continuous, and you can't sleep at night, but the good news is, if you get infected and get sick, there is an antibiotic treatment available)," Tayag said.

Concerning the situation, Tayag emphasized preventive measures such as mask-wearing, hand hygiene, surface disinfection, and getting vaccinated to mitigate the spread of both measles and pertussis.

He reassured the public that there have been no reported cases of vaccine “overdose,” addressing concerns related to vaccine hesitancy.

Tayag also clarified that there are currently “no lockdown” measures or mandatory mask policies in place.