Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
CENTER FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT BICOL
Legazpi City
Trunk line (052) 4835656, 4830934, 4830935, 4835659,
4830840 FAX local no. 104
Website: http://www.doh.gov.ph/chd5
January 14, 2014
DOH UPDATE
Municipal
Local Government Units (MLGU) should strive harder to conduct active
immunization activities against vaccine-preventable diseases, especially
against measles, to reach every child in every purok of each barangay.
Immunizing
door-to-door, in addition to the fixed site strategy will minimize missing an
eligible child for vaccination and track down missed children of previous
years, DOH CHD Bicol Director Gloria J. Balboa said today.
Eligible
children for vaccination who did not receive their measles vaccines during
their childhood, especially at the age of 6 months to less than 5 years old,
form part of a ‘pool of susceptible” where cases of measles may originate. And
that is where an outbreak may occur, she said.
For
2014 there are 28 measles cases suspects broken down as follows: Albay
province, 12; Camarines Sur 14, and 2 suspects in Sorsogon province. Masbate
reported a single case while none were reported from Catanduanes and Camarines
Norte.
Meantime,
the DOH CHD Bicol issued a health advisory on measles for the information of
the public.
HEALTH
ADVISORY
The first sign
of measles is usually high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after
exposure to the virus, and lasts four to seven days.
• Runny nose,
cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop
in the initial stage.
• After several
days, a red rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about three
days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts
for five to six days, and then fades.
On average, the
rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of seven to 18
days).
Severe measles
is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with
insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS
or other diseases.
Complications:
Most
measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease.
Complications are more common in children under the age of five, or adults over
the age of 20.
The most
serious complications include:
• severe
respiratory infections such as pneumonia
• severe
diarrhea and related dehydration
• encephalitis
(an infection that causes brain swelling)
• ear
infections
• blindness
As high as 10%
of measles cases result in death among populations with high levels of
malnutrition and a lack of adequate health care. Women infected while pregnant
are also at risk of severe complications and the pregnancy may end in
miscarriage or preterm delivery. People who recover from measles are immune for
the rest of their lives.
Who is at risk?
• Unvaccinated
infants and young children are at highest risk of measles and its
complications, including death.
• Unvaccinated
pregnant women are also at risk.
• Any
non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not
develop immunity) can become infected.
Measles
outbreaks can be particularly deadly in countries experiencing or recovering
from a natural disaster or conflict. Damage to health infrastructure and health
services interrupts routine immunization, and overcrowding in residential camps
greatly increases the risk of infection.
Transmission
• The virus is
spread by coughing and sneezing
• close
personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
The virus
remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two
hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from four days prior to the
onset of the rash to four days after the rash erupts.
Treatment
• No specific
antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.
• Severe
complications from measles can be avoided though supportive care that ensures
good nutrition, adequate fluid intake and treatment of dehydration with
WHO-recommended oral rehydration solution.
This solution
replaces fluids and other essential elements that are lost through diarrhoea or
vomiting. Antibiotics should be prescribed to treat eye and ear infections, and
pneumonia.
• All children
in developing countries diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of
vitamin A supplements, given 24 hours apart. This treatment restores low
vitamin A levels during measles that occur even in well-nourished children and
can help prevent eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A
supplements have been shown to reduce the number of deaths from measles by 50%.
Prevention
• Routine
measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in
countries with high case and death rates, are key public health strategies to
reduce global measles deaths.
• The measles
vaccine has been in use for over 40 years. It is safe, effective and
inexpensive.
• The measles
vaccine is often incorporated with rubella and/or mumps vaccines in countries
where these illnesses are problems. It is equally effective in the single or
combined form.
APPROVED FOR RELEASE:
GLORIA
J. BALBOA,MD,MPH,MHA,CEO VI, CESO III
Regional Director
