City dad wants aggressive measles vaccination campaign in Cebu City

In this October 2021 photo, DOH-7 launches its ceremonial Community Catch-Up Immunization activity at Robinsons Galleria Cebu.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon filed a resolution on Thursday, November 3, 2022, urging the Cebu City Health Department (CHD) to conduct an aggressive measles vaccination campaign.

Gealon’s resolution will be subject to approval by the council during its regular session next week.

In his resolution, the councilor said that based on the latest Measles Surveillance Report of the Department of Health (DOH), there are already 447 measles cases nationwide reported from January 1 until October 8, 2022.

The number is already 203 percent higher compared to the 154 measles cases reported during the same period in 2021.

Quoting on the same report, Gealon, in his resolution, also said that Central Visayas ranks second in the highest number of cases-with 63 reported measles cases.

READ: Measles, rubella cases up 153% – DOH

“According to DOH-Epidemiology director Dr. Alethea de Guzman, the increase in the number of measles cases is mainly because of the low immunization rate seen among children over the years,” he said.

“There is a need for the Cebu City Health Department to conduct an aggressive measles vaccination campaign to encourage parents to vaccinate their children,” he added.

Measles, according to the World Health Organization, is a highly contagious viral disease, which remains as an “important cause of death” among young children globally despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.

/bmjo

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