With the Department of Health (DOH) adding the Western Visayas among the regions in the country currently experiencing a measles outbreak, the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) is on alert against the illness.

Bacolod City Councilor Em Ang recently met with CHO officials to discuss stepping up measures in response to the declaration.

In a social media post, the city official said the CHO and barangay health centers will strengthen their respective immunization campaigns, monitor for new cases, and carry out DOH orders calling on mothers and caregivers to be more vigilant when it comes to the disease.

The CHO will also be setting up a vaccination desk in order to provide city employees and healthcare personnel with immunizations.

Earlier, CHO Environment and Sanitation Division head, Dr. Grace Tan, said they do not have any confirmed cases of measles in the city but there are current 41 “suspected” cases being verified by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

The CHO official also issued an urgent appeal for the parents to vaccinate their children against measles, warning its complications are very difficult to treat and could be lethal to children if they are unvaccinated.

The DOH in Western Visayas recorded a total of 104 measles cases, which attributed to three fatalities this year, as compared to 16 cases last year./DGB, WDJ