PH gets 500,000 doses of vaccines vs pertussis, 4 other diseases

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has received 500,000 doses of pentavalent vaccines, which protect against five diseases, including pertussis or whooping cough.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the vaccine doses arrived in the country this month and are currently kept in cold storage while paperwork is being finalized to allow their distribution to government health centers nationwide.

Aside from pertussis, the vaccines also protect against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and haemophilus influenzae type b.

READ: Whooping cough: It’s not just a cough

The DOH did not say where the vaccines came from, but it further announced that an additional 750,000 doses of the pentavalent vaccine are expected to arrive next week.

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Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said he has instructed relevant DOH units to ensure the immediate delivery of the vaccines to government health centers.

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“President Marcos Jr. emphasized that even as cases decline, routine vaccination must continue to prevent another spike in pertussis cases,” he likewise said in a DOH statement Thursday.

READ: Pertussis: How to protect yourself, loved ones

“The contracted supplier has begun delivering the pentavalent vaccines, which will protect young Filipinos starting at six weeks of age. The DOH will ensure that all ordered doses reach government health centers as quickly as possible,” he added.

In a report, the DOH noted a decline in recorded pertussis cases since July with about 50 cases per week – down from 300 cases per week in April.

DOH data shows that authorities logged 131 pertussis cases from July 7 to 20, 77 cases from July 21 to August 3, and 19 cases from August 4 to 17.

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