CEBU CITY, Cebu - The Department of Health (DoH)’s door-to-door measles campaign to start in April will directly benefit some 1.4 million children in Central Visayas.

This was revealed by Dr. Nayda Bautista, DoH-7 Medical Program Coordinator on Child Care and Nutrition and point person for the agency’s measles-rubella campaign in the region who said that of the 1.4 million children benefiting from the month-long vaccination, 60 percent will come from Cebu.

“The province of Negros Oriental and Bohol will have an allocation of 250,000 vaccines while Siquijor will have 60, 000,” she said.

Bautista said as soon as simultaneous vaccination starts April 4, each health worker team is expected to vaccinate 75 children per day for urban areas, and some 50 in far-flung barangays.

She expressed optimism that children covered in the campaign would benefit from the free vaccination given the success of the previous campaign in 2004.

The house-to-house measles campaign will benefit 14 million children nationwide and is expected to make the country measles free by 2012.

Meanwhile, Bautista revealed that as of February they were able to record five cases of measles which tested positive in laboratory tests. Four of the said cases are from Cebu and one from Negros Oriental. However, the health official stressed that cases this year so far are lower compared to last year when 10 cases were recorded for January alone.

She said the patients are now being treated, while those having symptoms of the said disease like generalized blotchy rashes lasting for three or more days, high fever with cough, running nose, and conjunctivitis are advised to immediately seek medication.

Bautista explained that measles is a viral disease which is highly communicable with patients infecting others hrough sneezing, coughing and close contact.

The DoH 7 official pointed out that the complications brought by the disease are dangerous like diarrhea, atitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, malnutrition and blindness.

“Oftentimes the complications make the patient suffer more which can cause mortality if not treated immediately,” said Bautista.

Moreover, Bautista urged local officials in the region to assist health personnel who will be assigned to conduct the immunization.

Health personnel will put stickers on households with immunized children while an immunization card will also be provided.