Hear, hear.
The Department of Health has urged the public to catch up on their routine vaccinations as cases of pertussis and measles have risen, the agency recording 453 cases of vaccine-preventable pertussis in the first 10 weeks of 2024, compared to only 23 in the same period last year.
But wait. What is pertussis? This is whooping cough, a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that causes influenza-like symptoms of mild fever, colds, and coughs 7 to 10 days after exposure.
The DOH says this cough, in typical cases, will develop into a characteristic hacking cough but, good thing, this can be treated by antibiotics, although it is best prevented through vaccination.
The DOH also recorded 569 measles and rubella cases as of Feb. 24, with all regions, except Bicol and Central Visayas, reporting an increase in measles and rubella infections last month.
In Metro Manila, Quezon City already declared an outbreak of whooping cough or pertussis following an increase in the cases of the contagious respiratory infection, with four babies reported to have died from infection.
According to the DOH, children under 5 years old and the unvaccinated are the most affected.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread by sneezing, coughing, and close personal contact. Its symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes, fever, and skin rashes lasting for more than three days.
Complications include diarrhea, middle ear infection, pneumonia, encephalitis or swelling of the brain, malnutrition, and blindness which may lead to death, according to the DOH website.
On the other hand, rubella, a contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash, is also called German measles or three-day measles.
This infection may cause mild or no symptoms in most people but it can cause serious problems for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.
Medical authorities say most people who get rubella usually have mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
Some people may also have a headache, pink eye, and general discomfort before the rash appears and can cause a miscarriage or serious birth defects in an unborn baby if a woman is infected while she is pregnant.
But the good news is that rubella can be prevented with MMR vaccine (vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella), very safe and effective, with just one dose 97 percent effective at preventing it.
Health authorities recommend children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults also should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination.
These health messages should not be ignored, particularly with the present El Niño phenomenon, which has caused damage to agricultural crops and threatened the populatiuon with dry spells and drought during the summer months.