2019 Philippines measles outbreak


The 2019 Philippines measles outbreak began in early 2019. An outbreak of measles was officially declared in February 2019 in select administrative regions in Luzon and Visayas including Metro Manila by the Philippine government. The outbreak is attributed to lowered vaccination rates, from a high of 88% 10 to 15 years previous to 74% at the time of the outbreak, allegedly caused by the Dengvaxia controversy.

Epidemiology

The Department of Health of the Philippines declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila due to an 550% increase of the number of patients from January 1 to February 6, 2019 compared to figures of the equivalent period from 2018. Outbreaks were also officially declared in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Central Visayas. and Northern Mindanao. A joint report by the United Nations Children's Fund and World Health Organization has stated in the report that the outbreak started much earlier in late-2017 in Mindanao.
Metro Manila and Calabarzon being the most affected regions with at least a thousand cases each.
The DOH has recorded at 8,443 cases from January 1 to February 18, 2019 with 135 of these cases resulting to deaths. On February 22, 2019, it was reported that there are at least 11,459 cases and 189 deaths recorded nationwide.
By April 30, the DOH declared that the measles outbreak is already under control but remained hesitant in officially lifting the outbreak declaration. There are 31,056 cases and 415 deaths recorded from January 1 to April 13.

Cases

In connection with the measles outbreak, the Philippine government has been maintaining a tally of confirmed cases and deaths from measles nationwide, including in regions not officially experiencing a measles outbreak.
RegionConfirmed
cases		Confirmed
deaths		Official outbreak declaration
Ilocos Region 1,03512
Cagayan Valley 3492
Central Luzon 3,76157
Calabarzon4,83898
Mimaropa9878
Bicol Region 6946
Western Visayas 1,3715
Central Visayas 1,11510
Eastern Visayas 1,02324
Zamboanga Peninsula 3021
Northern Mindanao 1,15910
Davao Region 4897
Socsksargen 5764
Caraga 5762
Bangsamoro 4514
Cordillera Administrative Region 3671
Metro Manila 4,56887
Total 23,563338Outbreak in 6 out 17 regions

Cause

Vaccination against measles is available for free in government hospitals and health centers but there is a lowered trust in vaccination in the country. According to an opinion poll conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2018, 32 percent of the surveyed 1,500 Filipinos trusted vaccines. In the 2015 iteration of the poll, 93 percent of the respondents said they trusted vaccines. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III attributes the lowered trust on the government's immunization drive due to the Dengvaxia controversy.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund said that the outbreak is caused by "failure of the health system" saying that the distribution of vaccines down to the barangay level has not worked properly. They cited that immunization rates in the country have been declining in the past 10 to 15 years with about 74% immunized at the time of the outbreak compared to a high of 88%; 10 or 15 years ago. UNICEF and the WHO has also attributed increase vaccine hesitancy in 2018 due to the Dengue vaccine controversy as a factor contributing to the outbreak. Statistical data from UNICEF, however, shows that decline in Measles vaccination began as early as 2014, four years before the Dengvaxia controversy happened.
As of February 22, 2019, 64 percent of all cases recorded at that time involved individuals who were not vaccinated against measles.

Response

The Department of Health released an informercial featuring boxer Manny Pacquiao in order encourage parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated against measles in response to the outbreak.
Neighbouring Malaysia's state of Sabah through the Health and People Wellbeing Ministry working towards getting all children, especially stateless people to be vaccinated following the outbreak in their neighbour the Philippines.