Dengvaxia Scare Causes Measles Outbreaks in PH
Is PH’s measles death toll rising from antivax misinformation?
What started out as
The vaccine scare, which seems to be taking off everywhere, and not just in the Philippines has been correlated with the sharp increase in measles infections in the country. As of February this year, 203 have been recorded dead by measles infection, with many more cases springing up in different cities.
The cause? Non-vaccination of mostly children, as more and more
According to the UN, 63% of the infected have not been vaccinated prior to infection, which led to more aggressive symptoms and ultimately, a worse time for patients. While vaccination rates have been declining through the years, the Dengvaxia scare is seen as one of the pivotal reasons why parents are not exerting sufficient effort to have their children vaccinated.
The growing anti-vaccine movement, which is strongest on Philippine social media, is causing further problems, warned the UN. Measles can be transmitted easily through droplet and direct contact with infected patients. Among the more alarming symptoms of the disease include pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness, and in cases where the symptoms have become too
The weak, elderly, and young are especially vulnerable to measles, which is why doctors continue their appeal to parents to have their children vaccinated. Measles vaccines are available in barangay health centers throughout the Philippines, as well as public health institutions and private clinics. The availability of the vaccine is high, which means there is no reason for children not to be vaccinated any time soon.