Bacolod records 2 more suspected pertussis cases

Source: Sun.Star Network Online
Author: Merlinda A. Pedrosa

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) has recorded two more suspected cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, in the city.

Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO's Environmental Sanitation Division, said Monday, April 1, that the sample specimens of the patients were already sent to the Department of Health (DOH)- Western Visayas.

She said they will soon release the data of the two patients, who are residents of Bacolod City, that will be included in the Morbidity Week 13 report.

She added that they need to submit their data first to the DOH-WV.

Last week, the CHO also recorded one suspected case of pertussis involving a two-month-old female residing outside Bacolod.

Tan said they are still waiting for the confirmation result from the DOH regional office.

She said most of the pertussis cases in other regions involved two-month-old babies.

"We need to encourage the parents to vaccinate their children, especially those under five years old, to protect the vulnerable population," she added.

Tan noted that pertussis is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis.

The CHO already tasked the barangay health centers to intensify their mapping program to determine the number of unvaccinated children within their barangays.

"We need a catch-up immunization because these are vaccines preventable diseases like measles, polio, diphtheria, rubella, among others," Tan said.

Once the vaccination status will decrease, she said the diseases will appear.

She added there's a possibility that the vaccination status decreased during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Tan said that less than one-year-old children or unimmunized children are a vulnerable age group.

"So we need to protect them by vaccinating those who are qualified to avail the vaccine," she said.*