Palace says disease outbreaks ‘under control’

The government has been conducting vaccination programs around the country to fight measles as cases continue to rise. EARVIN PERIAS

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Thursday said the Department of Health (DOH) is on top of the public health situation despite a series of disease outbreaks in the country.

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo assured the public that the DOH has vaccination programs to counter the outbreak of dengue, measles, and polio, diseases that are preventable by immunization.

“I talked to Health Secretary (Francisco) Duque the other day, he said the situation is under control. We have vaccination programs even in the villages,” Panelo said, speaking partly in Filipino.

The DOH declared outbreaks of dengue and measles earlier this year. And just last week, it declared the return of polio in the country after nearly two decades. The country is also facing a spike of diphtheria cases.

READ: DOH: After 19 yrs, polio back in PH

READ: DOH confirms diphtheria caused the death of grade schooler in Manila

The DOH said the outbreaks were caused by the drop in immunization rate of the country due to the dengue vaccine scare.

But Panelo assured that Duque and the health department is doing everything to address the spikes of these diseases.

“Ako naniniwala ako na ginagawa niya ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya upang pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng sambayanang Pilipino,” he said.

(I believe that he (Duque) is doing everything to take care for the health of the Filipino people.)  /muf