Republic Act No. 3573

REPUBLIC ACT No. 3573

LAW ON REPORTING OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

An act providing for the Prevention and Suppression of Dangerous Communicable Diseases and other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in legislature assembled and by authority of the same:

Section 1

Prophylactic inoculation

For the purpose of preventing and suppressing dangerous communicable disease, any person may be inoculated, administered or injected with prophylactic preparations as recognized efficiency and standard, and no person shall refuse as to hinder or obstruct in any way such protective measures as may be deemed advisable by the Director of Health or his authorized representatives.

Section 2

Notice to the Philippine Health Service about Communicable Diseases

Every physician, director, superintendent or person in charge of a hospital, institution or dispensary having knowledge or any householder, tenant, or occupant of any building or director of college, convent, or boarding school or factory upon which occurs any case of communicable diseases shall immediately notify the nearest station either by telephone, by messenger, or by written notice specifying the disease and the name and address of the person affected.

Section 3

A case of reportable or communicable diseases defined

The term “A case of reportable communicable disease” for the purpose of this act, shall be held to include any person sick or affected or attacked by any of the following diseases: Actinomycosis, Acute anterior (adult or infant) poliomyelitis, Cerebrospinal meningitis (epidemic), Diphtheria, Food poisoning, Glanders, Influenza, Leprosy, Malaria, Measles, Plague, Pneumonia, Mumps, Opthalmia Neonatorum, Tetanus, Trachoma, Tuberculosis, Typhoid, Paratyphoid fever, Typhus fever, Variola or Smallpox. Varioloid, Varicella, Viscount’s Agina, Whooping Cough and Yellow Fever and shall further include any other diseases publicly declared by the Director of Health to be communicable and dangerous to public health.

Section 4

Penalties

Any person who shall violate any provisions of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not more than P100.00.

Section 5

This Act shall take effect upon approval.