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Makati brings anti-measles drive to households


Health officials in Makati City intensified anti-measles efforts over the weekend, conducting home visits and door-to-door measles vaccination amid reported measles cases in some villages there. Teams of doctors, nurses and barangay health workers were deployed to conduct the drive, the Makati City government said in its Web portal Sunday. “We are on active surveillance mode, but we are also appealing to all parents to immediately bring their children to the nearest health center or hospital the moment they show measles-like symptoms, including high fever," City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Lourdes Salud said. Salud said that upon orders of Makati mayor and vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, the teams have prioritized areas in the city where suspected cases of measles have been reported. All cases were immediately investigated, with blood samples extracted from the patients and sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for testing, she said. But so far, she said that of 25 reported cases, the RITM has so far confirmed only one case, a three-year-old girl who had not been vaccinated since she was born. Salud said the child has recovered after she was given proper medication and vaccination. Salud also urged parents of young children, especially six months to under five years old, to have them vaccinated against measles at the nearest health center. Target: Measles-free Makati Makati has been regularly implementing the annual “Ligtas Tigdas" campaign of the Department of Health, and was even able to attain ‘zero-measles’ status in 2007. With tens of thousands of children vaccinated against measles each year, there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases recorded in the city. MHD records show that from 109 in 2003, the cases went down to 38 in 2004, 22 in 2005, three in 2006, zero in 2007, two in 2008, and four in 2009. “Based on city health records, we are getting closer to our goal of eradicating measles, and we are confident that through intensified immunization drive and strict monitoring, we will be able to prevent the disease from spreading in Makati on a larger scale," Salud said. Outbreak Last February, the DOH had warned the public of a measles outbreak across the country on noting an unusually rapid increase in the number of cases reported within just one month. Health authorities said this may have been caused by rising temperatures brought by El Niño. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects mostly children. It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms, which usually appear eight to 12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Rashes on the skin also develop after several days. According to the World Health Organization, there is no specific treatment for measles and prevention can be done through immunization. - KBK, GMANews.TV

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