The department made the announcement through a statement Monday evening, days after it encouraged the public to get vaccinated against pertussis, also known as "whooping cough" or "ubong dalahit" amid a surge in the number of reported cases.

"As of today, we see 3 million more 'pentavalent' vaccine doses arriving at the soonest possible time," the DOH said.

"These pentavalent vaccines protect not only against Pertussis, but also against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Hemophilus influenza type B," it added.

The department also said it has been coordinating with local government units to monitor the number of pertussis and measles in the country, saying this information "will guide the nationwide response."

In addition, the DOH ordered about five million more measles-rubella vaccine doses.

These will add to the more than 64,400 and 2.6 million doses of pentavalent and measles-rubella vaccines, respectively, already being distributed by DOH.

The department also encouraged the public to wear face masks in public places and to wash their hands frequently.

Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that causes influenza-like symptoms of mild fever, colds, and coughs 7 to 10 days after exposure.