Measles has claimed the lives of four infants, latest statistics from the Department of Health (DoH) showed, prompting authorities to launch a measles vaccination drive for babies as young as six months old in Metro Manila.

The move is a deviation from the DoH’s routine vaccination scheme against measles that ordinarily covers babies nine months to six years old after the disease surveillance report of the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) also reflected that majority of the measles patients belong to the one year to four years old age group.

“Our routine immunization activity covers nine months to six years old. But in Metro Manila, we brought it down to six months… there are babies below nine months old who died. It means the spread is rapid, even those as young as six months can get the disease,” said Dr. Eric Tayag, NEC director.

He said those who were vaccinated before they reached one year of age should have the immunization repeated to ensure the efficacy of the vaccine.

The four fatalities included three male infants aged eight months old from Tondo, and one 11-month old female baby from Parola, Manila. All of them died of pneumonia at the San Lazaro Hospital, Tayag said.

There are now a total of 954 measles cases recorded nationwide from last January 1 to February 20, according to NEC records, three times higher than the 330 reported cases during the same period last year.

Outbreaks of measles have been declared in different areas in Manila, including C. Palanca street (formerly Echague) in San Miguel; Parola Gate in Port Area; Lico street in Sta Cruz; and Morong St. in Tondo.

Other areas with reported measles outbreak are Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang; San Antonio, San Dionisio, and Bliss in Parañaque City; Pulang Lupa and San Juan Central in Las Piñas; Market 3 Fishport, and NBBN in Navotas; Brgy Maliwalo, Tarlac City; Sitio Maalat, Brgy. Huyon-Uyon in San Francisco, Quezon; Sitio Mabolo in Antipolo, Rizal; Brgy. Pandeño in Siniloan, Laguna; Pinamarbuhan, Mobo, market site, and Jimumuro, Yugbo in Masbate; Walang and Lambunao, Iloilo; Brgy. Marandig in Calinog, Iloilo; Baguio District and Tambobong in Davao City; and Matampay in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur.

Tayag asked local government authorities to support the vaccination drive to stem the rise of measles cases.

“We ask local governments to support barangay health workers. Even if it is election time, they have the obligation to do a house-to-house vaccination activity,” he said.

“The barangay health workers will go to houses of ‘defaulters’ or those who were scheduled for a vaccine, but did not go to health centers…We do not want the cases to reach 2,900 like in 2009. Areas that did not reach 90 percent vaccination coverage may have an outbreak in the coming days,” Tayag warned.

The NEC chief also reported that a massive vaccination drive has been set in the second quarter of the year for babies nine months to six years old in Metro Manila.