NO NEW PROBABLE CASES. City Health Office head Dr. Annabelle Tang says Iloilo City has not recorded any new probable cases of pertussis during the last two weeks. In a press conference on Monday (April 29, 2024), she said they would recommend the lifting of the state of calamity due to pertussis if the city post no new cases in the next two weeks. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) will recommend the lifting of the state of calamity caused by the pertussis outbreak if no new probable cases are recorded in the next two weeks.
“If you have noticed, for the past two weeks, we have had no new probable cases. We have positive but it was previously reported as probable cases,” CHO head Dr. Annabelle Tang said during a press conference on Monday.
Tang attributed the lack of new cases to the outbreak response immunization (ORI), massive vaccination campaign, post-exposure prophylaxis for adults, and provision of vaccines to pregnant women as immediate post-partum.
She said they already have consumed the 6,085 doses sent by the Department of Health on April 15, while the vaccination is ongoing using the 3,573 doses of city-procured vaccines, focusing on 0-12 months.
Further, 606 pregnant women received tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDaP) vaccines out of the 1,200 doses also purchased by the local government.
They are just waiting for 284 others to reach their 27 to 36 weeks of pregnancy to be given their TDaP.
Tang said they would wait for another two weeks and should there be no probable cases, that is the time they will recommend the lifting.
Dr. Ronald Jay Fortuna, also of the city health office, said they will assess the trend of cases every two weeks, similar to what they did with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In the succeeding weeks, if there are no new probable cases, they can claim that the pertussis is contained. (PNA)
