DOH urges pertussis vaccination as cases surge

The Department of Health (DOH) is urging the public to increase pertussis vaccination for children as cases climb in the first quarter of 2024.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa reported 1,112 pertussis cases from January to March, resulting in 54 deaths, with the majority of cases occurring in children younger than five years old.

Herbosa emphasized that all 54 deaths were from a vaccine-preventable disease.

He noted that around 70% of the reported cases were hospitalized.

The DOH previously stated that 70 percent of 394 pertussis cases recorded were among unvaccinated individuals, highlighting the disease's preventability through immunization.

The pentavalent vaccine is administered to children aged five months to five years for protection.

Herbosa mentioned that successful vaccination efforts in previous years led to minimal pertussis cases in many LGUs, but a concerning trend of increasing unvaccinated children is contributing to the current resurgence.

Quezon City, Iloilo City, and Cavite province are among the LGUs that have declared a pertussis outbreak.