The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged parents to ensure that their children receive the complete dose of all recommended vaccines in their first year of life.
In a statement, the DOH stressed the importance of protecting infants and children from other vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, apart from measles and polio.
The DOH- Epidemiology Bureau (EB) said it has been monitoring the cases of diphtheria and other infectious diseases on a regular basis.
“From January 2019 to September 2019, there have been 167 cases and 40 deaths compared to 122 cases and 30 deaths cases in the same period in 2018. The reasons for the trend are being investigated,” it added.
Aside from heightened immunization, the DOH-EB said the anti-toxin for diphtheria is available in the country through World Health Organization’s while antibiotics for diphtheria like penicillin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin, are locally and commercially available.
“With our campaign, Back to bakUna, Una sa Lahat ang Bakuna, we call on our local chief executives, local government health workers, other health professionals, and civil society groups to work together to reach every child and ensure that they receive the vaccines on time,” the DOH said. # Source - (PNA)
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