ILOILO City – The City Health Office’s (CHO) outbreak response immunization (ORI) against pertussis or whooping cough continues to stop the spread of the disease.
A total of 1,200 children have been vaccinated so far – still far from the CHO’s target of 30,836 children ranging from zero to 59 months old.
The CHO, however, said they are conducting selective immunization because of the scarcity of vaccines.
“We saturate areas where there are positive cases of pertussis,” said Dr. Jennifer T. Anceno, CHO national immunization program coordinator.
The city government, Anceno said, purchased 3,700 vials of hexavalent vaccine, a 6-in-1 vaccine for the ORI.
She added that there is a scarcity of the vaccine as the demand is high.
Selective immunization is currently being implemented in barangays San Jose in Arevalo district; Benedicto, Taytay Zone 2, and MV Hechanova in Jaro district; Molo Boulevard, Calumpang, San Juan, and North Baluarte in Molo district; and Oñate de Leon in Mandurriao district.
Iloilo City is under a state of calamity due to the outbreak of pertussis.
Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can be particularly severe among infants and young children.
This can be acquired primarily through direct contact with discharges from the respiratory mucus membranes of the infected persons.
The bacteria may be spread through droplets and indirect contact with articles freshly soiled with discharges of infected persons. Its symptoms include a cough persisting for two or more weeks, paroxysms which usually occurs at night, followed by vomiting and exhaustion./PN
