The Department of Health (DoH) announced on Thursday that it received 500,000 pentavalent vaccines this month. DoH Secretary Ted Herbosa said another 750,000 doses of pentavalent vaccines are set to arrive next week.

The health secretary said he instructed the relevant DoH units to ensure that the remaining doses are delivered as soon as possible. He added that the paperwork was being finalized before their distribution to government health centers nationwide.

Pentavalent vaccines protect against five diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.

The DoH reported fewer new cases of pertussis per week for almost two months now (around 50 cases per week) compared to around 300 cases per week last April.

It logged 131 cases from 7 to 20 July; 77 cases from 21 July to 3 August; and 19 cases from 4 to 17 August, with only four regions reporting an increase in the past six weeks: Cagayan Valley, Metro Manila, Western Visayas and Davao Region.

The total number of cases nationwide from the start of the year was 3,827 as of 17 August.

The bulk of the cases were recorded in March and April, when the DoH went into outbreak response immunization mode.

“President Marcos Jr. told me not to stop once cases are down, but to ensure that vaccinations continue — routine this time — to ensure that a spike of pertussis will not happen again,” Herbosa said.

“The contracted supplier has started delivery of the pentavalent vaccines that will protect young Filipinos starting at six weeks of age. The DoH will ensure that all the ordered doses will reach government health centers as soon as possible,” he added.