DOH reports 11,000 new dengue cases

Amid the controversy surrounding the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday disclosed that about 11,000 dengue cases had been reported in the first six weeks of the year.

According to the DOH Dengue Disease Surveillance Report, a total of 10,980 dengue cases were reported from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10.

A total of 51 deaths had also been recorded for 2018, the DOH report added.

But the number of dengue cases was 41.38 percent lower than the 18,731 cases reported within the same period last year, the report said.

It also noted that most of the dengue cases were recorded in areas where the mass dengue vaccination program was implemented.

There were 2,503 cases reported in Calabarzon, 1,964 cases in Central Luzon, and 1,820 cases in the National Capital Region.

Except for the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Calabarzon, all other regions in the country were found to have a decreasing number of dengue cases.

The Ilocos Region reported a 121-percent increase in the number of dengue cases; CAR had a 55 percent increase; and Calabarzon, 25 percent.

The report also showed that 23 percent of those afflicted with dengue were 10-14 years old.—TINA G. SANTOS