BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia on Monday told residents here not to panic amid the dengue vaccination scare as the city was not among the recipients of Dengvaxia vaccines from the Department of Health (DOH).
Parents should not worry because the City Health Office (CHO) did not administer the dengue vaccines in public schools here, he said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had earlier suspended the vaccination program pending the recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) panel of experts.
This came after Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur issued a statement on November 29, citing latest findings that severe dengue may possibly occur to those vaccinated but do not have any previous exposure to dengue illness.
The DOH launched the dengue vaccination initiative last year in three highly-endemic regions: Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and National Capital Region.
Moreover, Leonardia said that individuals who received the dengue vaccines from their private doctors should coordinate with the CHO for monitoring.
“I told (the CHO) not to make any action unless and until the national office will clear the issue with specific instructions on how to treat this,” the mayor said.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said Bacolod City and Negros Occidental were not included in the DOH dengue immunization program.
Tan added that based on the report, the dengue vaccine has shown consistent and sustained benefit for those who were previously infected with the dengue virus. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
