Five Filipinos in Hong Kong infected with measles amid outbreak

At least five Filipinos were infected by measles amid an outbreak of the disease in Hong Kong.

In a report by GMA News stringer Azon Cañete aired over GMA News TV's Balitanghali on Monday, the Philippine Consul in Hong Kong confirmed that of the 30 people who have been infected with measles in Hong Kong, six of them came from the Philippines and of these six, four are Filipinos working as household helpers.

The fifth person who got infected with measles is a Filipino but his profession was not mentioned. The sixth individual infected, on the other hand, is a foreigner who visited the Philippines.

The measles outbreak has prompted Hong Kong's Department of Food and Health to advise Filipinos who went on vacation in the Philippines to have themselves vaccinated against measles first before going back to work in Hong Kong.

The advisory from Hong Kong's Department of Food and Health has also been sent to overseas Filipino worker (OFW) organizations.

A dialogue among Hong Kong's Health department officials and OFW groups has been set to identify clear guidelines on how to implement the policy in light of the oubreak.

Cañete said the dialogue is expected to determine if those who have been vaccinated before would still have to get vaccinated with an anti-measles shot, and who should pay for the anti-measles vaccine of household service workers. The cost of the vaccines is around HK$1,000 or over P6,000. —Llanesca T. Panti/KG, GMA News