Text by Henrylito D. Tacio
(First of Two Parts)
The highly-contagious measles has staged a comeback – thanks to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against COVID-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunization programs were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles,” deplored Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of World Health Organization (WHO).
Measles vaccination coverage has steadily declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose: 25 million children missed their first dose and an additional 14.7 million children missed their second dose, according to a joint publication by the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This decline is a significant setback in global progress towards achieving and maintaining measles elimination and leaves millions of children susceptible to infection,” said the publication.
In 2021, there were an estimated 9 million cases and 128 000 deaths from measles around the world. Twenty-two countries experienced large and disruptive outbreaks. Declines in vaccine coverage, weakened measles surveillance, and continued interruptions and delays in immunization activities due to COVID-19, as well as persistent large outbreaks in 2022, mean that measles is an imminent threat in every region of the world.
The situation is grave. “Measles anywhere is a threat everywhere, as the virus can quickly spread to multiple communities and across international borders,” the United Nations health agency points out.
In the Philippines, a 154% increase in measles cases was noted in 2022. Health officials have reported 373 cases from January through September, up compared to the 147 cases reported in the same period in 2021.
With 57 cases, Central Visayas topped the list, followed by Calabarzon (54 cases) and National Capital Region (41 cases). One measles death was reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao region.
Even before the pandemic, a measles outbreak was already happening. In 2019, the Department of Health declared a measles outbreak in the National Capital Region. “We are declaring an outbreak as cases have increased in the past weeks and to strengthen surveillance of new cases and alert mothers and caregivers to be more vigilant,” said then Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III.
The outbreak was so bad that in San Lazaro Hospital, the management had to set up tents in whatever available areas near the hospital like the parking lot and the courtyard. Even the top of the stairs outside the pediatric ward were used.
“This ward would only accommodate 50 patients,” Dr. Ferdinand de Guzman, the head of family medicine at the hospital, was quoted as saying. “But at the height of the outbreak, (there were) 300 patients per ward.” (To be concluded)
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