861 suspected measles cases reported in Manila



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In the Philippines, hundreds of people are said to have measles, a health official told CNN.

On Wednesday, there were at least 861 suspected cases of measles in the region of Manila alone, CNN reported.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Eric Domingo, told the media that the number was "quite high," but doctors are now responding to the epidemic.

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Domingo thinks that more and more people are choosing not to vaccinate, which is contributing to the increase in the number of measles cases. In the Philippines, millions of children are still not vaccinated against multiple diseases, fearing they will no longer be vaccinated, health officials said.

In 2016, the country was the subject of controversy over a national immunization program launched to combat dengue, a viral infection transmitted by a mosquito. At the time, vaccine manufacturer Dengvaxia warned parents of potential side effects, causing fear throughout the country.

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Some parents claimed that their children died after being inoculated, although the French drug manufacturer said there was no confirmed death from the vaccine.

Fear has resulted in lower immunization coverage for several diseases in the Philippines.

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