Disease outbreak: Measles kills 17 in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangsinan — Measles has killed 17 people in Pangasinan province in the last two months, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

John Lee Gacusan, program manager of DOH Ilocos region’s national immunization program, also said 726 measles cases had been recorded since Jan. 1.

The number represented an 881-percent rise from that recorded in the same period last year.

Pangasinan posted 589 cases, the region’s highest, while La Union province had 99; Ilocos Sur province, 25; and Ilocos Norte, 13.

Vaccination

Gacusan said the DOH had sent nurses and doctors to different provinces in the Ilocos to help local governments in their vaccination activities, especially in areas with high cases.

Records from the DOH national office showed that more than 16,000 measles cases were recorded as of March 2. It said 261 peopled had died from the disease.

The DOH earlier declared an outbreak of measles in parts of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Central Visayas due to the increasing number of cases, most of them involving infants and children up to 4 years old. —Gabriel Cardinoza