Over 16,000 dengue cases reported in past month — DOH
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has recorded over 16,000 cases of dengue in the past month, with Central Luzon logging the most number of infections, the Department of Health said Tuesday.
According to the DOH, 16,324 dengue cases were reported from June 5 to July 2. Central Luzon accounted for 20% or 3,196 of the recent cases, followed by Metro Manila with 1,729 cases, and Central Visayas with 1,703 cases.
The agency said that 13 out of 17 regions in the country have already exceeded the epidemic threshold in the past four weeks.
Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region, Soccsksargen, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Cordillera Administrative Region showed a “sustained increasing trend” in the past month.
The country recorded a total of 65,190 dengue cases from January 1 to July 22, 83% higher than the cases logged during the same period in 2021.
Cumulatively, most cases were from Central Luzon (9,448), Central Visayas (7,771) and Zamboanga Peninsula (5,708).
There were 274 dengue-related fatalities, translating to a case fatality rate of 0.4%.
Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, officer-in-charge of the DOH, said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel last week that the department will thoroughly study the use of dengue vaccine as cases of the viral infection continue to increase.
In 2017, the Philippines suspended its dengue vaccination program following the announcement by pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur that anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia could cause severe dengue if given to those without prior exposure to dengue.
The announcement sparked political drama and led to the breakdown of public trust in vaccination following unfounded claims that the anti-dengue vaccine caused the deaths of children inoculated with it.
In a position paper on Dengvaxia vaccine, the WHO said the vaccine has been shown in clinical trials to be efficacious and safe in persons who have had a previous dengue infection.
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