THE Department of Health (DOH) listed Barangay Caranglaan in Dagupan City as one of two areas with ‘clustering’ of measles in the country. The other being Barangay Balangasan in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur.

In a report by DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire on October 5, she named the two barangays as areas with measles clusters.

In a clarification issued by Dr. Rheuel Bobis, Medical Officer IV of the DOH-Center for Health Development Region I in an interview Thursday, October 6, he said a ten-month-old baby was considered as ‘patient zero’ in Barangay Caranglaan, meaning the patient was confirmed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) as a confirmed measles case, based on the specimen sent to them.

An area is declared in a ‘cluster’ if some suspected cases with patients suffering symptoms similar to measles and/or rubella are detected around patient zero.

Bobis was not able to give a specific number of suspected cases at press time because the contact tracing of the Dagupan City Health Office was still ongoing.

The DOH-CHD1 reported earlier 108 cases from January to October 1 this year, against last year’s 50 reported cases only”, or a 116percent increase in measles cases this year.

This year’s measles cases breakdown: 17 were in Ilocos Norte, 13 in Ilocos Sur, 31 in La Union, 40 in Pangasinan, and 7 in Dagupan City.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said a measles ‘outbreak’ could happen in 2023 due to lower vaccination rates.

Bobis said measles and rubella could be fatal for small children and he attributed the low measles-rubella vaccination rate due to the Dengvaxia fiasco, and the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The DOH-CHD urges parents to observe their kids if measles or rubella symptoms emerge. Symptoms include cough, colds, fever, and the appearance of rashes. (Ahikam Pasion)

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