The Cavite Provincial Health Office (PHO) is escalating its efforts to combat the highly infectious disease, Pertussis, by focusing on unvaccinated individuals, especially infants, through their Outbreak Immunization Response (ORI) program.

The ORI initiative is a supplement to the ongoing routine immunization against Pertussis. This follows the declaration of a state of calamity in the province due to a surge in confirmed and suspected cases of the disease from January to April 2024.

Ralph Laurence Figueroa, the designated health education and promotion officer of Cavite PHO, presented data showing a significant increase in Pertussis cases. While there were 17 recorded cases throughout 2023, the first quarter of 2024 saw a dramatic rise to 36 diagnosed and suspected patients, leading to six fatalities.

“From January 2024 to March 25, 2024, we recorded a total of 36 cases. The number of cases increased significantly at around a 3,500% increase in cases. In addition, there were six deaths recorded during that period,” Figueroa stated.

Although Pertussis can infect anyone, the Cavite PHO is primarily concentrating on vaccinating infants and children, who are considered the most susceptible to the respiratory disease.

As of March 30, 2024, the age range of individuals infected by the highly contagious disease in the province spans from 1 day old to 26 years old.

Figueroa further explained, “We are currently prioritizing unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children, particularly those who haven’t completed their primary dose. We cannot deny that we still have shortages of vaccines against pertussis at the moment, which is why we prioritize those unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children.”