Government to monitor students who received dengue vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — Students who took part in the now-suspended dengue vaccination program of the Department of Health (DOH) will be monitored to ensure their health and safety after reports of risks for those who received the vaccine.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will coordinate with the DOH to monitor the 733,713 school children who were injected with Dengvaxia since last year, the agency said in a statement.

“As the health and safety of our learners are of principal importance, the DepEd, in close coordination with the DOH, will monitor the condition of learners who have been administered the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia,” the agency added.

“As a stakeholder, DepEd will likewise be actively participating in the review and consultations of DOH on the dengue vaccination program,” it said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday announced the suspension of the vaccination program after updated information on the results of clinical trials showed possible risks for those who received the vaccine.

Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia, said more cases of severe disease could occur among those given the vaccine who have no previous history of dengue.

The program was implemented last school year, covering public school students in Grade 4, aged nine and above.

Duque earlier said the DOH would strengthen the profiling and surveillance of those who were given the vaccine to monitor their condition.

Senators appeal for calm

Sens. Joseph Victor Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian appealed to the parents of the children who have been administered the dengue vaccine to remain calm and let the authorities do their job in addressing all their concerns about the recent disclosures regarding the drug.

Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on health, said there is no reason for the parents to panic in spite of the disclosure by Sanofi that Dengvaxia could have adverse side effects on people who have not previously contracted dengue.

The DOH should be allowed to do its job of monitoring the situation and advising the parents about what must be done, he said.

Once the DOH is able to gather more data and submit these to the Senate, Ejercito said he intends to conduct a probe into the issue.

“It is premature to make any conclusions yet. So let us just allow the DOH, World Health Organization and other health experts to investigate and give their recommendations to those who were administered the vaccine,” Ejercito said.

Gatchalian called on the DOH to step up its efforts to inform affected parties.

He urged the DOH to tap local government units (LGUs) to assist them in reaching out to the parents and restore a sense of calm.

Gatchalian noted that the LGU of Valenzuela has already mobilized its people to address the concerns of the 15,538 children in the city who were vaccinated.

“This is helping Valenzuelano parents to rest a little easier. The LGUs are designed to be the government’s front-liners against emergencies of this nature,” Gatchalian said.

“They need to be deployed efficiently to keep the Dengvaxia situation under control,” he added.