MANILA, Philippines, Feb 27 (NNN-PNA) – The death toll in the measles outbreak in the Philippines has reached 203, according to the latest data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Between Jan 1 and Feb 23, 12,736 measles cases, including 203 deaths were officially reported nationwide, through the routine surveillance system from the Philippines Department of Health, OCHA said.
OCHA said, this is a significant increase compared to 2,789 cases and 25 deaths reported in the same period in 2018.
With a median age of two years old, 57 percent of measles cases are under five years old, it said.
Data from 2018 showed that 10 percent of cases were between six and 15 years of age, whereas 15 percent were between 16 and 30 years of age. “The majority of measles cases are male, at 53 percent,” OCHA said.
As of Feb 23, it said, 63 percent of cases were not vaccinated.
“The overall risk remains high because of a large number of unprotected children and adults,” OCHA said.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct contact.
“The occurrence of the epidemic in several densely populated urban areas, promotes the rapid spread of the disease,” OCHA added.
OCHA said, Measles vaccination coverage (MCV1 and MCV2) at national level is low and there are several pockets of under-immunised communities.
On Feb 6, the Department of Health (DOH), declared a “measles outbreak” in Metro Manila. A day later, the DOH announced that, the measles outbreak had spread to more areas in the Philippines’ main Luzon island, Western Visayas and Central Visayas, in the central Philippines.– NNN-PNA
