By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) is urging parents to have their children vaccinated against pertussis or “whooping cough.”

PHO head Dr. Girlie Pinongan reminded parents that they should complete their children’s primary vaccination as it will serve as their protection against diseases, including pertussis.

Pinongan advised Negrenses to wear face masks at home, especially if a family member is experiencing pertussis symptoms, and observe preventive measures, such as frequent handwashing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizers.

Earlier, Pinongan said a patient suspected of pertussis had been admitted to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

The patient, a two-month-old boy, is in a stable condition.

Pertussis is a highly-contagious respiratory disease, and children are the most vulnerable to infection.

Its symptoms can be mild for adults, but it can become severe among infants and young children.

Infection can be acquired primarily through direct contact with discharges from the respiratory mucus membranes of infected persons.

The PHO head is advising those who are showing symptoms of pertussis, such as runny nose, low-grade fever and cough, to immediately consult a doctor.

In an advisory, the Department of Health in Western Visayas reported 18 pertussis cases in the region, indicating a 100 percent increase compared to the number of cases recorded in the same period last year./DGB, WDJ