DOH lifts Code Blue Alert on pertussis, measles

INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) lifted its Code Blue Alert on pertussis and measles on Thursday, citing the continuous decrease in recorded cases.

According to the DOH, only 187 pertussis cases were recorded from May 12 to 25, marking a 38 percent drop compared to the 301 infections logged from April 28 to May 11.

It also observed the same development in reported measles-rubella cases, with the 283 cases recorded from April 28 to May 11 dropping by 37 percent to 178 infections from May 12 to 25.

“This is a far cry from the number of cases logged when the Code Blue Alert was raised last March 20, which signaled intensified activities to mitigate the spread of the virus through vaccination, micronutrient supplementation, community engagement, and risk communication,” the DOH said in a statement.

The DOH also noted a consistent decrease in the number of measles-rubella cases in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with 36 cases from May 12 to 25 being 58 percent lower than the 86 cases registered from April 28 to May 11.

READ: 8M jabs coming as DOH sees more pertussis, measles outbreaks

The DOH attributed the decrease to the onset of the intensified vaccination it spearheaded in cooperation with local government units nationwide.

It thanked all the LGUs and the BARMM Ministry of Health for combating pertussis and measles cases.