102 kids’ relatives sue Garin, Duque on Dengvaxia

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 102 relatives of children who were administered the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia yesterday filed complaints against former health chief and now Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, Health Secretary Francisco Duque and several others.

The complainants, assisted by a special panel of lawyers of the Public Attorney’s Office, filed their affidavits before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office. The PAO will also submit copies of the complaints to the Department of Justice (DOJ) today.

PAO chief Persida Acosta said the other respondents include officials of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur Inc., Zuellig Pharma, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Food and Drug Administration.

“They are the spearheaders of the Dengvaxia mass indiscriminate vaccination,” Acosta said in a news briefing.

She said the complainants were relatives of 101 children who died and one who survived after being injected with the vaccine.

The victims were injected with Dengvaxia without their informed consent and undergoing a blood test, which Acosta said could have protected the recipients.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 107 set the arraignment and pre-trial of Garin and other respondents on Friday after Judge Jose Bautista Jr. issued an omnibus order dated Nov. 18 finding probable cause to proceed with the case of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, which previously came from the metropolitan trial courts of Muntinlupa City and Imus, Cavite.