Public officials told: Don’t politicize Dengvaxia mess

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights has appealed to public officials to focus on the welfare of Filipino children and avoid politicizing the issue involving the government’s anti-dengue vaccination program. 

In a statement, the CHR urged public officials to refrain from causing further public anxiety with premature statements about anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia that are not backed by scientific evidence. 

“It is to the best interest of the children and their families that this issue be insulated from political noise that distracts from providing genuine and durable solution to the problem at hand,” read the statement. 

“This issue deserves the government’s utmost attention given that the future of our nation depends on the welfare of our children,” it added. 

The commission said it is monitoring efforts of the Department of Health to address the issue. 

“As duty-bearers, public officials and our leaders are presumed as much as they are always expected to put utmost premium on the welfare of children when formulating and implementing policies and programs,” said the human rights body.

“Yet, executives of the DOH during the Aquino administration are now subject of an investigation in connection with the immunization of children with anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. While DOH is presumed to have the sincerest intentions in fulfilling its mandate to protect the people through a policy that seeks to prevent all kinds of illnesses and diseases including dengue, there has been lapses in the implementation,” it added. 

The government suspended the anti-vaccination program after Dengvaxia’s manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, announced that the vaccine can increase the hospitalization risk for individuals who have not been previously infected by the dengue virus. 

DOH said this puts at risk the health and safety of about 10 percent of the 830,000 Filipino children who were immunized by the vaccine. 

Health officials are also investigating the death of at least 14 children to determine if these were caused by the vaccine. 

“The CHR recognizes the efforts of the DOH to heighten surveillance and monitoring activities on all 830,000 vaccinated children. The government ought to undertake all possible measures to prevent further exposing the vaccinated children to risk,” read the CHR statement.  

“In keeping with its constitutional mandate, the CHR is continuing its investigative monitoring of the DOH’s efforts with regard to this issue – both at national and regional offices – which also includes the DOH’s responsibility of strengthening the preparedness of public hospitals to attend to any severe dengue cases,” it added. 

It also expressed hope that the ongoing congressional investigations on the matter will result in legislations that will prevent similar incidents and improve the country’s public health programs.

“Ensuring the protection of children is our collective duty and moral responsibility,” said the agency. 

“The imperative of safeguarding our children entails not exposing them to any vulnerability and harm, especially to their health which is primordial in the attainment of their full development and enjoyment of life,” it added.