The local government is poised to increase the vaccine supply for pertussis or “whooping cough” to be distributed to barangay health centers.

In a briefing Wednesday, 2nd District Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane said the City Council’s health committee is working with Mayor Rolando Uy to provide the pentavalent vaccines needed for children, who are the most vulnerable group to contracting pertussis.

“We will do our best to ensure that children in the city are vaccinated by the LGU (local government unit); it’s free and must be availed of,” she said.

Gaane, a physician by profession, said pertussis is preventable through vaccination. Although the cases in the country might reach a peak, she said these will eventually recede after some time.

Dr. Rachel Dilla, chief of the City Health Office, said they currently have 2,000 vials of pertussis vaccine ready for distribution to the city’s 80 barangays.

According to the Department of Health, a vial of a pentavalent vaccine costs PHP12,000, which covers protection from five diseases, including pertussis. (PNA)