DOH verifying 3 more alleged Dengvaxia deaths

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is verifying reports from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) that three more children vaccinated with Dengvaxia died yesterday.            

“We have not received any report (of new deaths), but we will check immediately,” Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo told the STAR.        

Ferdie Topacio, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption general counsel, said they received information that the three, from Nueva Ecija and Laguna provinces, died Sunday and that they were among the thousands that were included in the dengue immunization drive during the term of former president Benigno Aquino III.        

He also claimed that about 52 children vaccinated with Dengvaxia are currently confined at San Lazaro Hospital.        

Based on a DOH data, 26 Dengvaxia-vaccinated children have died while 725 others were admitted in various hospitals nationwide from 2016 to Jan. 24, 2018.

Sen. Richard Gordon believes that Aquino should apologize and be held accountable for the questionable P3.5-billion purchase of vaccines from French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur. 

As chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee looking into the issue, Gordon said he has come up with several recommendations on the rush to buy anti-dengue vaccines in January 2016—less than four months before the May 2016 national elections.

 Along with the committee on health chaired by Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, he said one final hearing would be held before giving a formal report on the issue that has created untold anxiety for the parents of over 800,000 schoolchildren.        

When asked for his recommendations on Aquino’s liability, Gordon said over dzBB: “Just wait. I’ll be very frank. It’s time for him to answer, to own up to this.” – With Paolo Romero, Ghio Ong