Philippines is now facing another polio case. A recent test conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the National Institute Diseases -Japan has confirmed. This is now the 4th polio case since an outbreak was declared back in September this year.
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the National Institute Diseases – Japan confirmed another polio case in the Philippines on Tuesday night. According to the secretary of Department of Health, Francisco Duque III via statement released, the case came from Mindanao.
However, the Department of Health did not specify the patient’s age. It did not state where exactly in Mindanao the case was found.
This is apparently the 4th polio case since the disease resurged in the country after nearly two decades. In September this year, two cases were also reported – one in Lanao del Sur and the other in Laguna. Meanwhile, the third case was found also in Mindanao, specifically in Maguindanao, just last month.
Safety Measures
The Department of Health said it is not conducting a polio vaccination campaign targeted in the towns where the third and fourth cases of polio were found. Meanwhile, the rest of Mindanao will be covered in the next round of catch-up polio vaccination which is set from November 25 to December 8 this year.
The said campaign involves door-to-door vaccination. It also ensures that every barangay health unit, as well as municipal health centers have enough supply of the polio vaccine. As per Duque, parents have nothing to worry about as there are sufficient stocks of oral polio vaccine available.
Just last month, the Department of Health reported that the first round of polio vaccination was a success. As per their statistics, 95.4% or nearly 2 million children aged 5 below were already covered by the vaccination efforts of DOH.
Urging the parents to have their kids vaccinated, Duque said that polio can be defeated. However, he asks for the public’s trust, as well as active participation in the Department of Health’s immunization programs.
Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly contagious disease. It is caused by poliovirus which invades the nervous system. Its symptoms include fatigue, headache, fever, stiff neck, vomiting, and sudden onset of floppy legs and arms. In severe cases, such disease can lead to permanent paralysis or even death. Children who younger than 5 years old are the ones who are most vulnerable to such disease. Hence, the Department of Health has been very keen on their campaigns in battling polio.
