Department of Health Expands Measles Catch-Up Vaccination Campaign

Department of Health Expands Measles Catch-Up Vaccination Campaign

Western Australia has been witnessing a rise in measles cases. Health authorities have been suspecting reasons that have brought a rise in the cases.

Since October, 14 cases of measles have been reported in Western Australia. The authorities are quite concerned over the spread of the disease as the vaccination rate is also quite low in the state. Health authorities are suspecting that the rise could be due to rise in foreign tourism.

This has led the Department of Health to expand its measles catch-up vaccination campaign. As per the expansion plan, vaccination will be provided to children aged between six months and three years in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Bulacan, and Pampanga among other places.

The department officials have been urging mothers to get their children to health centres. Some of the areas that have been included in the expansion program are the ones that are close to outbreak areas. Other ones have reported about measles deaths.

Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease. Its symptoms include high fever, red eyes, running nose and cough. After two days of getting infected from it, rashes start to appear on the entire body. Due to its contagious nature, the disease can spread through direct contact as well as from body secretions of an infected person.