MANILA — Amid the declaration of outbreaks in various areas, the Department of Health (DOH) sees an "increasing trend" of pertussis cases in the country.

DOH Sec. Ted Herbosa on Thursday said they are doing their best to vaccinate more children, and ensure that vaccine supply will be sufficient.

He explained that stocks of pentavalent vaccines--which includes that for pertussis--are expected to last until May.

The government is then set to order 3 million doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccines, while waiting for the 6 million doses of pentavalent vaccines expected to arrive in July.

"Ang pertussis is vacccine preventable. In fact, last year, many of these LGUs, zero, walang case ng pertussis because nape-prevent natin with vaccination. Ang problema pag dumadami ang numero ng bata na hindi bakunado sa pertussis ay kumakalat iyong cases. In fact, iyon ang nakita namin. Karamihan ng bata below 5 years old ang nai-infect at marami below 6 months nai-infect. Kasi 6 months natin binibigay iyong pentavalent o 5-in-1," he said in a press conference.

"Iyong bakuna laban sa pertussis ay pentavalent vaccine - kasama doon iyong diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) at saka hepatitis B. Tatlong dose po ang binibigay starting 6 months. So iyong mga bata... nai-infect sila ng mga batang walang bakuna at nagkaka-pertussis. So pati iyong below 6 months na dati hindi nai-infect, nai-infect," he added.

Herbosa said pertussis can be treated through antibiotics.

He added adults can also be vaccinated against the disease, especially those who are unsure if they were vaccinated when they were younger.

"Mayroon silang recommendations - iyong experts - na mabigyan iyong adults lalo na kung exposed ka sa family. So merong available commercially, iyong TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines, which is a new formulation given to adults. So pag kunwari may batang nagkaroon ng whooping cough, the adults can have that booster shots," he told reporters.

"I recommend, sa private sector pwedeng makuha iyon kasi we don't buy vaccines readily. Kailangan dadaan pa siya sa National Immunization Technical Advisory Group tsaka HTAC (Health Technology Assessment Council). But these ones have CPR (Certificate of Product Registration) and are commercially available. So all you need is a private physician to prescribe it and inject it to you," he added.

Earlier, the official also mentioned a proposal to give TDaP vaccines to pregnant women in their third trimester.

"Ia-adopt din siguro natin ito pero it will take time. Not for this particular incident," he said.

Currently, tetanus and diphtheria (TD) vaccines are being given to pregnant women.

Herbosa also advised parents to bring their children to hospitals as soon as possible to prevent worsening of the disease.

"Iyong sa Quezon City, ni-report sa akin ng city health officer, 'Sir, average time na nagco-consult sila, nine days.' Masyadong late na iyon. Serious na iyong bata kaya meron tayong mga deaths... Ang ordinary ubo't sipon, within three to four days, magaling ka na. Pag iyong bata tuloy tuloy pa, kailangan mo na ng consultation," he said.

From January to March 2024, DOH recorded 1,112 pertussis cases, with 54 deaths. About 70 percent of the total number of cases were hospitalized.

ROUTINE VACCINES

As the DOH and parents alike catch up with pentavalent vaccines for children, the agency is monitoring other illnesses within the said 5-in-1 vaccines to prevent other increase of cases.

"Kung maraming batang hindi protected, dadami talaga iyong sakit. Ito iyong konsepto ng herd immunity: pagka maraming bata ang walang bakuna, sila sila iyong naghahawaan, sila sila iyong nagcau-cause ng outbreak. Pero pag maraming bata vaccinated, kaunti lang iyong susceptible, hindi sila magkikita... So pwede talagang magkaroon pa ng next diseases in the [illnesses within the] pentavalent [vaccine]," Herbosa said.

"Iyong sa measles and rubella, hindi ako masyadong takot kasi nag-measles, rubella supplemental immunization tayo in May of 2023... Iyong polio vaccine, measles, rubella, mukhang hindi tayo magkaka-problema doon," he added.

In the BARMM, where there is a measles outbreak, as of April 10, DOH data show 646,840 children have been vaccinated for measles and rubella, which is 47 percent of the 1.3 million children targetted to be vaccinated in the region.

Herbosa stressed the importance of routine immunization - pentavalent, measles, mumps, and rubella, polio, pneumococcal conjugate, tubercolosis vaccines, among others - as the lack of which causes outbreaks, with children as victims.

He also admitted his disappointment on the high number of zero-dose children in the country.

"Kahiya-hiya tayo... Ibig sabihin kahit isang bakuna, hindi nabigyan. So mataas iyon, millions of kids ang naze-zero dose. Tayo talaga binabantayan ng ibang bansa kasi source tayo ng outbreak," he said.

In a 2023 press release, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Philippines revealed that the Philippines has 1 million children who have not received a single dose of childhood vaccine, "the second highest in East Asia and the Pacific Region, and the fifth highest globally."

"The Philippines has already been plagued with low coverage on protective vaccines before the COVID-19 pandemic, never having met the ideal target of 95 percent routine coverage rate for children since the 1990s," the agency also said in another press release in 2022.