Population-based study of measles and vaccination coverage in Baguio City, Philippines

ABSTRACT

@#<p style="text-align justify;">Measles continues to be a major childhood illness in Baguio City considering that the Philippines is elimination phase due to continuous transmission among susceptible population. Despite a high percentage of anti-measles vaccination coverage, outbreaks have been reported.</p> <p style="text-align justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> The goal of this study is to describe the epidemiology of measles cases during 2010-2012 and relate it to the outbreak response immunization (ORI) and supplemental immunization activities (SIA) of Health Services Office.</p> <p style="text-align justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> It is a cross sectional design utilizing data from Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and reports from the Expanded Program on Immunization of the Field Health Service Information System of Baguio City. Simple descriptive statistical analysis utilizing frequency and percentage distribution was used to characterize the measles cases according to age, sex, case final classification and vaccination status.</p> <p style="text-align justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> During the 3-year, period, there were 457 total suspected measles cases with history of fever, generalized rash, and either cough, coryza or conjunctivitis. Outbreak started in February 2010 and reached 97 suspected cases and eventually decreased after the ORI by March to April 2010. The mean age of the cases is 11.18±10.64 years old, 10.28 are aged from 0-8 months. Of this total, 105 (22.98%) were clinically confirmed, 66 (14.44%) were laboratory confirmed positive for anti-measles IgM antibodies, 27, (5.91%) were epidemiologically linked to confirmed cases and 295, (56.67%) discarded non-measles cases. Among 171 laboratory and clinically confirmed cases, 33 (19.30%) did not received measles vaccination, 40 (23.40%) received 1 dose and 54.40% has unknown immunization status.</p> <p style="text-align justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> There were observed cased of measles that are out of age targer of the immunization program which necessitates public health action. There is a need to revisit immunization programs and policies to address out of target cases.</p>