Duque: Leave Dengvaxia fiasco to experts
Duque noted that many parents are refusing to get their children immunized after the disclosure of French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur that Dengvaxia poses threats to individuals who had no prior dengue infection. The STAR/KJ Rosales
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III called on the public to leave the investigation of the Dengvaxia issue to the medical experts amid widespread fear over the controversial dengue vaccine.
During the resumption of the probe into the anti-dengue vaccine fiasco Monday, Duque appealed to the public not to heighten what he dubbed as “misinformation.”
“Of course, we cannot avoid feedback coming from the ground and from the parents that every illness now seems to be attributed to Dengvaxia. It does not help that we might be contributing to the misinformation,” Duque said.
He added: “Let’s leave it to the experts, to the doctors, to the pediatrician to manage this. This is not a difficult case to manage.”
Duque also noted that many parents are now refusing to get their children immunized after the disclosure of French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur that Dengvaxia poses threats to individuals who had no prior dengue infection.
Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo on Friday said that the immunization rates for polio, chicken pox, tetanus and other diseases have been significantly down.
“I appeal with all candor that we should work together to ensure that even the innocent vaccines of the DOH will not be tainted by this one single controversy because in the end, it’s really for the protection of our children against diseases that can prove to be fatal in the medium and long term,” Duque said.
READ: Medical experts: Stop Dengvaxia autopsies
On Sunday, a group of medical experts including former health chief Esperanza Cabral urged the Public Attorney’s Office to stop performing autopsies on children who allegedly died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
The group added that PAO should “leave the matter of determining the cause of death to competent forensic pathologists.”
But Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday said PAO autopsy on suspected deaths from Dengvaxia vaccine will proceed despite objection from experts.
The review of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital found out that three of the 14 who died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia contracted dengue.
More than 830,000 people have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia since it was launched during the term of former DOH secretary Janette Garin.
READ: Only 3 of 14 Dengvaxia-linked deaths due to dengue, says UP-PGH panel
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