In a follow up to a report last month, the number of cases of measles reported in the Philippines has jumped to 21,336 confirmed and suspected cases from Jan. 1 to Mar. 20, 2014, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Measles-Rubella Bulletin.
This is up 2,219 cases from mid-February to mid- March. In addition, the death toll from the measles outbreak has tripled from 23 fatalities on Feb. 15, 2014, to 69 deaths reported on Mar. 20, 2014. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most of the measles cases are in people from Metropolitan Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon. As of April 18, 17 US travelers who returned from the Philippines have become sick with measles. Most of these cases were among unvaccinated children younger than 2 years old.
If you’re traveling to the Philippines, the CDC recommends that travelers protect themselves by making sure they are vaccinated against measles, particularly infants 6–11 months of age (1 dose of measles vaccine) and children 12 months of age or older (2 doses of measles vaccine).
