Red Cross boosts campaign vs measles with immunization drive

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) conducted a vaccination drive for children and information and education campaign for parents in Baseco Compound over the weekend to help reduce the number of measles cases.

PRC Chairman Sen. Richard J. Gordon on Monday said that a total of 1,307 children received anti-measles shots during the community-based measles control program in the Manila community.

Aside from the vaccination program, the PRC also took time to educate parents on the importance of vaccination.

Gordon noted that its program against the rising number of measles cases reflects the organization’s aim “to fill the immunization gap in the country.”

“We don’t stop at providing logistics support in overcrowded hospitals. We are working with the Department of Health and the local government to immunize the children. Una kaming nag-mass vaccination dito sa Manila dahil ito ang hotspot ng outbreak,” Gordon said in a statement.

“We are planning to do this regularly dahil malaki ang immunization gap na kailangan nating habulin. Kailangan magtulong-tulong tayo—private, public at iba pang organizations—para masugpo ang tigdas,” he added.

The PRC earlier installed measles care units in five hospitals around Metro Manila –  San Lazaro Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Cainta Municipal Hospital and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.

As of Monday morning, the care units of the organization already attended to 470 patients.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier declared a measles outbreak in the National Capital Region, noting that it has already recorded nearly 200 cases only for the month of January.

READ: Measles outbreak in Metro Manila — DOH

The DOH is also expecting a surge of measles cases in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region in the following weeks.

“We expect more [cases] in the next [two] weeks. The [number] may start to go down by mid-March,” Dr. Eduardo Janairo, DOH regional director, said in a telephone interview on Friday. / gsg

READ: DOH expects measles surge in Calabarzon