The local government of Manila has appealed to parents and guardians to bring their children to the city’s various health centers for vaccinations in response to a surge in pertussis cases.

This comes as the Department of Health announced that it has logged at least 862 cases of pertussis in the country with 49 individuals succumbing to the disease from 1 January to 31 March 2024.

This represents a 30-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Among confirmed cases, 79 percent are children under five years old.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna highlighted the availability of free vaccinations at 44 health centers under the Manila Health Department led by Dr. Arnold Pangan.

Parents can schedule appointments online.

Lacuna stressed the importance of pertussis vaccination to reduce infections and deaths. She also stressed early detection, treatment, case investigation, contact tracing, and prophylaxis as crucial measures.

The highest number of cases were reported in MIMAROPA (187), followed by the National Capital Region (158), Central Luzon (132), Central Visayas (121) and Western Visayas (72).

Alarmingly, 66 percent of affected children were either unvaccinated or had no known vaccination history.