Measles outbreak claims 130 lives in Manila

A measles outbreak this year in Manila has claimed 130 lives so far. Among dead are mostly children aged between one and four, health authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

According to Al Jazeera, approximately 8,400 people in Manila have fallen ill due to the infection that rose up to more than 1,000 per cent in January this year, as compared to the previous year.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said that a massive immunisation drive that was initiated last week in Manila and four other provincial regions is most likely to restrict the outbreak from spreading further.

"No ifs, no buts, no conditions, you just have to bring your children and trust that the vaccines ... will save your children," Duque urged the people.

"That's the absolute answer to this outbreak," Duque added.

The health officials further stated that most of the people who had lost their lives due to the measles outbreak were not immunised.

Nearly 130,000 people were given anti-measles vaccinations in Manila within a span of just one week, the health officials confirmed.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through sneezing, coughing and close personal contact. The complications of the disease include diarrhoea, ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis, or the swelling of the brain, which may lead to death.