DOH looking after welfare of vaccinated kids

Following an order from the Supreme Court, the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said it is already addressing all the concerns raised by the 70 mothers of children inoculated with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

In an interview with reporters, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said DOH proactively responded to the concerns raised regarding the vaccination of over 830,000 children.

“The surveillance, care, monitoring, examination, all of which are already being done by the Department of Health,” said Duque.

“We have already responded well ahead to these concerns,” he added.

Duque made the remarks after the Supreme Court ordered DOH to comment on the petition seeking to compel concerned agencies to address the health risks from the Dengvaxia vaccination.

The petitioners said the government should provide long-term consultations and treatment for the children who received Dengvaxia shots and that the services should be free.

Earlier, DOH stressed it is focusing on refining its response and action plan in the Dengue Task Force to ensure the safety and best health outcomes for the vaccinated children.

The department seeks to enhance monitoring and surveillance, effective management of adverse events following immunization, activation of the dengue fast lanes in public hospitals, and truthful and timely risk communication to the public.

It also stressed its commitment to monitor all the vaccinated children as well as take responsibility for medical care should there be an adverse event that could be related to the dengue vaccine.