Ex-Health chief calls on public to take precautions vs pertussis

Former Health Secretary and House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin on Friday called on the public to take precautions, including getting vaccinated, amid the pertussis outbreak in Quezon City which claimed the lives of four infants.

“This is alarming, but we can prevent the spread of this disease through vaccination and observing proper hygiene,” Garin said.

“One of its causes is the recent decline in vaccine uptake brought about by fake news and the infodemic has also affected the uptake of DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus). Vaccination saves lives; hence, we need to catch up.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined pertussis as a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella which spreads easily from person to person, mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.

The WHO said pertussis symptoms include mild fever, runny nose, and cough, which in typical cases gradually develops into a hacking cough followed by whooping.

“Nakakahawa po ito lalo na sa mga bata o sanggol. Dahil mga bata iyan, hindi nila alam kung saan sila pwedeng mahawa kaya malaki ang responsibilidad ng mga magulang dito para maprotektahan ang kanilang anak sa sakit na ito,” Garin added.

(This disease is contagious, especially among children and babies. Since they are children, they won’t always be aware of where they can get infected with the disease, so parents are crucial in protecting their children.)

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte confirmed that the city has been experiencing an outbreak of Pertussis, a contagious respiratory disease, and has recorded 23 cases as of March 20.

The Department of Health (DOH), for its part, had urged the public to immunize against vaccine-preventable diseases as cases of measles and pertussis continued to increase.

In the first 10 weeks of 2024, the DOH logged 453 cases of Pertussis compared to just 23 cases in the same period in 2023.
  
Despite the pertussis outbreak, Dr. Rolando Cruz, OIC of the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division said that there was no need to implement a mandatory face mask-wearing policy.

Cruz nevertheless advised adults who have symptoms to wear face masks at home and when going outside, especially when in the presence of children. — DVM, GMA Integrated News