DOH moves to contain Tuburan measles cases

THE Dept. of Health is intensifying measles immunization in Tuburan town, northwest Cebu after 59 cases were reported.

Around 200 children aged 9 to 15-years-old are targetted for measles immunization shots this week, according to Rennan Cimafranca of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 Regional Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit (RESU).

Vaccine shots will be given even to those who were previously immunized for German measles, Cimafranca added.

Of the 59 reported cases, only 25 were actually checked by health officials as others were already healed when they visited earlier this week, he said.

Most patients were adults, with only 40 percent aged five to 15 years old.

Health authorities suspect a German measles outbreak among Tuburan residents.

As noted in the site visit, patients experienced symptoms of German measles – low-grade fever, rashes that start from the face and chest, swelling of eyelids or conjunctivitis, cough and colds.

Cimafranca said hospital confinement was not needed.

Barangay Lusong in Tuburan has a total population of around 1,200.

This is the second time, a health alarm hit the town this year.

Last March, a typhoid outbreak resulted in the death of at least four people and inflicted more than a thousand people./Correspondent Jessa J. Agua