Iloilo City placed under state of calamity due to whooping cough outbreak

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The city government of Iloilo has been placed under a state of calamity on Tuesday, March 26, due to the outbreak of pertussis or whooping cough. 

The state of calamity status was formalized after the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) of Iloilo convened in a special session and approved the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to activate it.

The declaration came after the City Health Office (CHO)-Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit had officially recorded a total of 16 suspected cases of pertussis, with seven confirmed cases.

In a statement, the city hall said, “With the state of calamity status, the city government can utilize the calamity fund, which will be used to procure medicines and vaccines and for other strengthened measures and responses against the infectious disease.”

On Monday, March 25, the CDRRMC declared an outbreak of pertussis in Iloilo City, which prompted city officials to take action.

“With the declaration, a proposed budget of P16 million has also been approved during the council meeting for the needed measures and responses against pertussis. A big chunk of the fund will go for the procurement of medicines and vaccines,” a portion of the statement read. 

Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, CHO assistant department head, said that more than 26,000 children aged 0 to 59 months from the districts of Molo, Arevalo, Jaro, and Lapuz were being eyed to receive anti-pertussis vaccines. 

“If we have an outbreak, we have what we call ‘outbreak response immunization,’ that is why we need additional vaccines. For adults, pregnant women in their third trimester are also high risk, so we will give them the vaccine also because there’s the possibility that they may be a carrier and the baby who is not yet vaccinated will have a big chance to acquire pertussis,” Fortuna said.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is described by the Department of Health as a “highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection.” This means it can easily spread among people by airborne droplets either through coughs or sneezes. – Rappler.com