DOH: Pertussis cases nationwide rise to 568

Twenty-eight new pertussis or whooping cough cases were recorded in the country from March 10 to 16, bringing the total number this year to 568, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday. 

DOH said that the 568 pertussis cases logged from January 1 to March 16, 2024 were more than 20 times higher than the recorded cases during the same period last year, which was 26. 

Forty deaths due to the highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection have also been reported so far. 

The National Capital Region (NCR) alone accounted for 27% (58 cases) of the total confirmed cases among all regions.

Aside from the NCR, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, and Central Visayas had the most number of local government units which showed case increases. 

At least six out of 10 total pertussis cases (356 cases) were infants below 6 months old. 

Three out of four (270) of these infants were also either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination history, according to the DOH. 

There were also 384 cases of the total number who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination history was unidentified. 

Data by DOH also revealed that on a biweekly basis, the number of new pertussis cases increased from the weeks of February 4 and 11 (122 cases), to the weeks of February 18 and 25 (149 cases). 

This only went down to 73 new cases in the weeks of March 3 and 10. 

“While this may show an improvement, the DOH is cautious in interpreting the trend as the number of cases may still change as there may be late consultations and reports,” the agency said. 

The DOH has been encouraging parents or guardians to have infants as young as 6 weeks old to get the pentavalent vaccine for free at government health centers. This vaccine would protect not only against pertussis, but also against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B.

Meanwhile, children aged 1 to 6 may get a booster dose. Older children, as well as adults, were also advised to consult a doctor or health center regarding the appropriate vaccine for them. 

Pregnant women may also get the “Tdap” vaccine, which could protect their babies against pertussis. 

As of March 25, there were 64,400 doses of pentavalent vaccines in the country. The DOH is eyeing the arrival of three million more doses "at the soonest possible time." —KBK, GMA Integrated News