Cebu mayors asked to come up with list of Dengvaxia vaccine recipients

CEBU CITY - Compelled to come up with a master list of children vaccinated with Dengvaxia, the Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) has urged all mayors in Cebu province to submit the names of those who received the controversial anti-dengue shots.

The Senate has started investigation into the P3.5 billion vaccination program launched by the Department of Health in the previous Aquino administration. The vaccine was feared to have an alleged ill-effect to those who received it.

Dr. Rene Catan, PHO Officer-in-charge, said in order for them to have a wide-ranging and more cohesive approach in addressing the problem, they needed to have a list of the children’s names for their database.

Catan said aside from the names, the list from the mayors should also include the addresses, contact numbers, dates of vaccination, and whether a certain child has a history of dengue infection.

All these information will be placed in a database which will be made available to all private and government hospitals for reference whenever a child patient is suspected of being infected with the dengue virus.

Catan also appealed to parents to voluntarily go to their respective rural health centers and submit the names of their children.

“I’d like the parents to understand that they need to go to their rural health units and submit the needed information about their children, especially those who have been vaccinated or have been infected by dengue before,” he said. “If a particular child has been infected before and already had his or her anti-dengue vaccination, there’s a big chance that child is already protected. But if a mother could not remember whether her child has been infected before, then they need to keep an eye on that child.”

A child previously infected with dengue and underwent vaccination has a 96-98 percent chance he or she would not be infected with severe dengue. There are different levels of treatment and there are cases that provincial or district hospitals can manage, according to Catan.

“If they will be hospitalized in a provincial hospital, it will be for free. They are not going to pay anything because they will be covered by Philhealth, or by any government aide such as the MAP (Medical Assistance Program). We also have support programs for indigents. But that assistance is only for the towns and municipalities. I cannot speak yet for cities such as Mandaue and Lapulapu,” he said.