Measles vaccination: More volunteer nurses can help, says PHO chief

ILOILO – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) is open to nurses volunteering their services for door-to-door measles vaccination.

The vaccination starts this week, according to Dr. Patricia Grade Trabado, PHO chief.

Interested nurses are advised to visit the PHO or the rural health units of the areas where they intend to serve.

The more volunteer nurses PHO has, the better for the measles vaccination program which targets children from six to 59 months old, said Trabado.

Iloilo province has 42 towns and one component city (Passi City).

Trabado said last year’s measles vaccination drive had a low coverage. She blamed the Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine controversy for this.

As of Feb. 22, Iloilo province had 76 suspected measles cases, Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 records showed.

“I appeal to the parents to not wait for their children to have measles. Bring them to the nearest health centers. The vaccines are available and are free,” said Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. The virus is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.

It could lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea and sepsis which could lead to death.

Trabado said children are the “most vulnerable” group to measles.

Initial measles symptoms, which usually appear between 10 to 12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth.

Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.

After the six to 59 months old age group, other targets of PHO’s measles vaccination are some 44,000 Grade 1 and Grade 7 students in the province who failed to be vaccinated last year because their parents refused to give their consent due to the Dengaxia scare, said Trabado.

The next priority groups are the health workers who have direct contact with measles patients, and students from Grade 2 to Grade 6.

If there are measles vaccines left, these would be used on adults wanting to have themselves vaccinated, said Trabado.

While global measles deaths have decreased by 84 percent worldwide in recent years — from 550,100 deaths in 2000 to 89,780 in 2016 — the World Health Organization (WHO) said measles is still common in many developing countries, particularly in parts of Asia and Africa.

An estimated seven million people were affected by measles in 2016. The overwhelming majority (more than 95 percent) of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes and weak health infrastructures, according to WHO./PN

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here