Immunization gap behind measles, pertussis rise

THE World Health Organization (WHO) said gaps in the immunization program during the 2019 Covid pandemic led to the increase in cases of measles and pertussis in the Western Pacific Region, including the Philippines.

During a press briefing in celebration of World Health Day, World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Director Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala said the failure to vaccinate some 1 million children in the Western Pacific because of restrictions on the movement of people during the pandemic was behind the surge of communicable diseases in the region.

Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional director (left), says there is a ‘huge immunization gap’ during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the incidence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the region, especially in the Philippines. With Piukala at the press conference on Friday, April 5, 2024 was Olivia L. Davies, WHO communications manager. Also present were Dr. Babatunde Olowukure, regional emergencies director; Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Philippines representative; and Dr. Rajendra Yadav, Integrated Communicable Diseases coordinator, who also shared their thoughts on the pandemic and its effects on children’s immunization.PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN 

Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional director (left), says there is a ‘huge immunization gap’ during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the incidence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the region, especially in the Philippines. With Piukala at the press conference on Friday, April 5, 2024 was Olivia L. Davies, WHO communications manager. Also present were Dr. Babatunde Olowukure, regional emergencies director; Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Philippines representative; and Dr. Rajendra Yadav, Integrated Communicable Diseases coordinator, who also shared their thoughts on the pandemic and its effects on children’s immunization.PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN

Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional director (left), says there is a ‘huge immunization gap’ during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the incidence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the region, especially in the Philippines. With Piukala at the press conference on Friday, April 5, 2024 was Olivia L. Davies, WHO communications manager. Also present were Dr. Babatunde Olowukure, regional emergencies director; Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Philippines representative; and Dr. Rajendra Yadav, Integrated Communicable Diseases coordinator, who also shared their thoughts on the pandemic and its effects on children’s immunization.PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN 

Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional director (left), says there is a ‘huge immunization gap’ during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the incidence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the region, especially in the Philippines. With Piukala at the press conference on Friday, April 5, 2024 was Olivia L. Davies, WHO communications manager. Also present were Dr. Babatunde Olowukure, regional emergencies director; Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Philippines representative; and Dr. Rajendra Yadav, Integrated Communicable Diseases coordinator, who also shared their thoughts on the pandemic and its effects on children’s immunization.PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN 

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an ‘immunity gap’; the concentration was on Covid-19, leaving the routine immunization neglected,” Piukala said.

He said the WHO is trying to address the rising cases of measles and whooping cough across the region.

Despite increasing cases of other communicable diseases, the Covid-19 situation remained stable, according to Dr. Babatunde Olowukure, WHO’s regional emergencies director.

“The immunity or protection in relation to other diseases that were vaccine preventable suffered because the vaccine uptake in many parts of the world decreased,” Olowukure said.

He also said that the UN agency aims to learn from the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic in strengthening health systems and infrastructure to better respond to future emergencies.

WHO Philippine Representative Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus said 4,700 vaccinators were mobilized in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to give children measles shots.

“We are able to vaccinate 232,890 children, which is 17 percent of the target population of 1.3 million in BARMM alone,” de Jesus said.

He said the WHO continues to work with the Department of Health at the national and subnational levels and in municipalities to address the challenges in BARMM.