CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — The government will strictly monitor the children administered with free anti-dengue vaccine until year 2021, the Department of Health (DOH) said during the Dengvaxia surveillance and response forum it conducted Thursday at The Pavilion, Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in this city.
The forum aimed to provide awareness to the thousands of Bulakenyos given the anti-dengue vaccine on what to do in case of occurrence of possible side effects.
Dengvaxia recipients in Bulacan, together with health officials, were advised to report any suspected complications of the vaccine to the province’s Dengvaxia hotline (0998-324-2261) or to DOH regional hotline in Central Luzon (0921-368-8541).
Dr. Cindy Canlas, communicable disease cluster head of DOH in Central Luzon, said the free-anti-dengue vaccines were given to around 205,000 schoolchildren in Region 3 who are currently being monitored for possible side effects.
Free dengue rapid diagnostic test kits were initially given to public hospitals, where free treatment would also be provided to those who are positive of the mosquito-borne disease.
Aside from the public hospitals in Bulacan, Canlas said 13 private hospitals have also agreed to participate in providing tests for dengue vaccine recipients and part of the agreement is to provide the DOH with its reports on the tests conducted.
Canlas, however, could not confirm if private hospitals that have been included in the provision of tests on Dengvaxia recipients are allowed to charge testing fees.
She said there are three confirmed deaths among Dengvaxia recipients in Central Luzon as of January 8, one of whom suffered bronchial asthma; another had septic shock; and the other, due to infection.
Canlas clarified that it was still not established whether the deaths were related to the Dengvaxia vaccine.
The free anti-dengue vaccination program of the DOH was launched in April 2016. In Bulacan. The targeted recipients were 63,985 children aged at least nine years old enrolled in Grade IV.
A total of 52,882 beneficiaries received the immunization in the first round of vaccination. Some 45,654 received the second dose and the last round in April 2017. A total of 41,019 beneficiaries completed the recommended dose of the dengue vaccine.
Meanwhile, Governor Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado said no recipient of Dengvaxia in Bulacan has been reported to have suffered complications from the vaccine.
“We are not waiting for a case to surface. Thus, we need to strictly monitor them,” he said. (PNA)
