DOH logs 1,627 cases of measles-rubella

The Department of Health (DOH) has logged 1,627 cases of measles-rubella in the country, with four deaths recorded.

Children under ten years old are the most at risk for MR, making up 82 percent of the total cases.

Most are below five years old.

Close to half of the cases (787, 48%) are from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where a nonselective Measles Outbreak Response Immunization (MORI) is now in the second week of its intensive phase.

Almost 850,000 (849,728) children in BARMM have been vaccinated for this MORI as of 14 April.

The top three BARMM provinces with the highest percentage of the target population vaccinated are Maguindanao del Norte (88.5 percent); Sulu (79.2 percent); and Maguindanao del Sur (72.2 percent).

Only 2.3 percent of those offered vaccines either deferred or refused.

The DOH said the national epidemic curve of new cases per week for measles-rubella is showing signs of plateauing, which indicates that overall transmission may be slowing down.

It, however, noted that the protective effects of the MORI may not be seen in the epidemic curve until four to six weeks after it started.

The DOH stressed that it is cautious in interpreting trends as there may be late reports or cases previously recorded as clinically compatible but later on shown to have negative test results.