DOH may declare measles outbreak in Region 2

The Department of Health said it could declare a measles outbreak in Region 2 after a 578% spike in cases in February this year compared to last year, according to a report by Ivan Mayrina on GMA's "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho."

Cagayan and Isabela are particularly at risk among provinces if the number of patients continue to increase despite mass vaccination efforts in the region, the DOH said.

READ: A Crisis of Trust — A Special Report on the Measles Outbreak amid the Dengvaxia Scare

Region 2 is composed of the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

Last month, the DOH declared an outbreak in Metro Manila due to the surge in measles cases.

Meanwhile, patients at San Lazaro Hospital have decreased to 263, around 100 cases fewer than last week.

“This might just be temporary so it will take us maybe a month to see if the trend will continue and we can say that the outbreak is over,”  hospital spokesperson Dr. Ferdinand De Guzman, said.

According to data from DOH, recorded measles cases reached 8,443 as of Sunday. Among them, 136 patients have died, including two children on Sunday evening.

The DOH said the number of parents taking their children to health centers for vaccination has also increased.

“Kung dati po binabagsakan sila ng pintuan, sinasarhan, pinapakawalan ang aso kung nagha-house to house ang health workers, ngayon po open nagpapa-reserve na nagtatanong kung ano pa raw vaccine ang ibibigay ng free ng DOH,” De Guzman said.

However, the DOH warned that measles patients should still be taken to the hospital as soon as possible because it could take until April or May before they could declare the outbreak over. —Marisse Panaligan/ LDF, GMA News