Davide calls on gov’t to monitor vaccine recipients

CEBU Gov. Hilario Davide III said the government should prioritize its monitoring of the health of those who were administered with the Dengvaxia vaccine along with holding those responsible for botching up the vaccination program.

“The important thing is that the children will be monitored, especially if there are cases of dengue infection arising after they took the shots. Let’s only ask for the refund later on. For me, the children’s health is the primordial concern,” the governor said.

“It’s just right that (those liable should) answer the consequences for their actions. They should be asked to explain,” Davide said.

Last Wednesday, a 10-year-old child of Talisay City identified as Jujen Ababon, was rushed to a hospital in Naga City for dengue infection six months after he received the first dose of Dengvaxia.

A public health surveillance by the Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) will monitor the Dengvaxia situation in the province.

This included creating a centralized database system containing information about the children in Cebu who were inoculated with Dengvaxia.

Provincial Health chief Dr. Rene Catan suggested the Provincial Board (PB) to pass a resolution compelling mayors to submit a list of Dengvaxia recipients from their respective towns or cities.

The governor supported Catan’s proposal. “We really need the help of the mayors especially in light with the urgency of the issue on Dengvaxia right now,” the governor said.

The national government said it would seek a full refund of the P3.5 billion it had spent for Dengvaxia.

It also wanted its manufacturer to set up a fund to cover hospital bills racked up by those who would suffer from a severe case of dengue after getting the vaccine shots.

Last week, they suspended the massive dengue immunization program after the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur, maker of the Dengvaxia vaccine, disclosed that it could cause severe symptoms in people who have had no previous exposure to the mosquito-borne virus.

Out of the 830,000 children from the country who received Dengvaxia, data from the Department of Health–7 (DOH–7) revealed that over 150,000 of them are from Cebu.