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MANILA – The Quezon City government has procured some PHP13 million worth of vaccines and antibiotics for the treatment of pertussis cases, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Tuesday.
Belmonte said the city government purchased more than 3,500 vials of 6-in-1 vaccine, 1,012 bottles of Azithromycin and 1,000 bottles of Clarithromycin. The vaccines will be given to children six weeks old and up who have yet to receive a vaccine for pertussis.
“We have approved the purchase of needed vaccines and antibiotics so we can immediately provide the required medical attention to current cases and protect our QCitizens from further spread. We are planning to purchase more should the need arise, given that the national government has limited supply of the vaccines,” Belmonte said in a news release.
Aside from pertussis, Belmonte said the 6-in-1 vaccine provides children with protection against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, haemophilus influenzae, and hepatitis B. Azithromycin and Clarithromycin are antibiotics prescribed for pertussis-positive patients.
“Pagdating na pagdating ng mga binili nating bakuna at gamot, agad natin itong ipinadala sa ating mga health center, lalo na sa mga lugar na mataas ang bilang ng pertussis (As soon as our purchased vaccines and medicines arrive, we immediately sent them to our health centers, especially in areas with high rates of pertussis),” she said.
As of April 5, the Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division reported 41 pertussis cases in Quezon City, including six deaths.
It added that 60 percent or 21 pertussis cases were infants less than six months old while the ages ranged from 22 days old to 13 years old, with a median age of three months.
The local government earlier declared a pertussis outbreak, enabling it to mobilize its assets and resources to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease, which is also known as whooping cough.
It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and can be transmitted through person-to-person respiratory droplets or contact with airborne droplets and exposure to infected or contaminated clothes, utensils, and furniture, among others.
The Department of Health has also committed support to the Quezon City government, especially through the allocation of vaccines and other health interventions for QCitizens.
The city government also extended burial and financial assistance to the families of the six children who died from the disease. (PNA)
