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47 kids die due to measles as cases flood the San Lazaro Hospital


The San Lazaro Hospital in Manila has so far seen 1,240 measles cases in January alone, with all 47 patients who succumbed to the disease children no older than three years old.

"Killer complication ang pneumonia. Three of 4 patients are children sa ngayon sa census namin ang namamamatay almost every night dahil walang bakuna ang nagka-tigdas," San Lazaro Hospital spokesperson Dr. Ferdinand de Guzman said on GMA 7 news program "24 Oras" on Friday.

Measles was one of the most contagious of all infectious diseases, with the spike of cases in the first month of 2019 flooding the San Lazaro's pediatric infirmary. 

According to a mother of one of these measles-stricken children, patients have started to share beds.

"'Yung mga bata lang po nakahiga kasi dalawa po bawat kama. Tapos titingnan mo lang po 'yung pasyente mo, 'di po talaga puwedeng matulog," she said.

With the rate of child deaths, the Department of Health (DOH) emphasized that the measles can be prevented through vaccination.

"Napaka-preventable talaga nito. At saka may time na wala na tayong cases ng measles. Unfortunately, itong past few years, medyo mababa ang coverage natin. Pero nung 2018 talagang drastically bumagsak," Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo lamented. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM/RSJ, GMA News

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