Manila, April 23 -- Cases of pertussis or whooping cough in the country are on an upward trend with 1,566 recorded infections as of April 13.

"Hindi pa po natin nakikita ang downward trend. Hinihintay pa natin pumasok ang epekto nung pagbabakuna (We don't see the downward trend yet. We're still waiting for the effect of the vaccination)," Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing Tuesday.

He said there are 19 cases of pertussis with two confirmed deaths in Quezon City as of April 13.

On March 21, Mayor Joy Belmonte declared an outbreak of the disease in the city as it has logged 23 cases, including the death of four infants aged 22 to 60 days earlier that month...