BACOLOD City – The City Health Office (CHO) continues to conduct its immunization for measles and other diseases.
Medical Officer IV Grace Tan, head of CHO’s Environmental Sanitation Division, administered vaccine on about 20 media members and city hall employees on Monday at the Mayor’s Office conference room inside the Bacolod City Government Center.
While maintaining that Bacolod has no case of measles for the past three years, Tan said the CHO is taking preventive measures amid measles outbreaks in various parts of the country.
This is upon the instruction of the Department of Health, she stressed.
CHO regularly offers free MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination in health centers across Bacolod City for children aged one to two years.
Measles, a viral disease, remains one of the leading causes of death among young children around the world despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts between 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.
Over about three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet.
The rash lasts for five to six days, and then fades.
On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of seven to 18 days), the WHO added./PN
