Health authorities have called for urgent action following the re-emergence of polio in the country after nearly two decades.
“It is deeply disconcerting that poliovirus has re-emerged in the Philippines. The outbreak calls for urgent action to protect more children from being infected,” said United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund Philippines Representative Oyun Dendevnorov.
Dendevnorov said that it is important to increase the polio immunization coverage to 95 percent to stop the poliovirus transmission. “Vaccination is the only and best protection against polio that mainly affects children under five years of age. As long as one single child remains infected, children across the country and even beyond are at risk of contracting polio,” said Dendevnorov.
World Health Organization Country Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe urged parents to let their children be vaccinated. “We urge all parents and caregivers of children under five years of age to have them vaccinated so that they are protected against polio for life,” he said.
An infectious diseases expert said that cases of polio may increase in the coming days.
“I would expect. Pagkaalam ko minomonitor na ‘to last year. Di lang officially sabi na meron because not so sure about it. Even Metro Manila noon meron manifest na, di lang nila nacoconfirm,” said Dr. Rontgene Solante, former president of Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
The Department of Health said that only one case of polio has been confirmed so far, which involved a three-year old girl from Lanao del Sur. The poliovirus was also detected in the sewage in Manila and waterways in Davao.
Solante said that it was important to vaccinate all children in the area where the poliovirus was detected. “It is important (for the) DoH to do surveillance of area, lahat (ng) bata bakunahan agad. Unang reaction bakunahan lahat (ng) bata malapit doon kung saan (may) report (of) polio virus infection,” said Solante.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that the reemergence of polio disease is “multifactorial,” which include the public health scare from the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy. “And then on the ground level, parents are both working, the mothers are not home to bring their child to the health center nor be able to have their children vaccinated with oral polio at the time of our door-to-door and house-to-house campaign,” Duque said.
Malacañang yesterday expressed concern about the reemergence of polio in the Philippines.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that they want to reverse the trend of polio in the country because of its effects especially among children.
“Nakakabahala na after 19 years nagkaroon tayo ng findings of the presence of polio here. Alam po natin na lubhang nakakahawa po ang polio virus especially among children,” he said. “Kailangang bilisan natin yung actions natin to stop this and to reverse it,” he added. (Analou de Vera and Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
