CITY LAWYER TO SUE EX-DOH OFFICIALS

A Cebu City Government lawyer who received the dengue vaccine, along with 2 minor children, will go to court against former Department of Health officials and a private supplier, amid questions on the vaccine’s efficacy.

An employee of the Cebu City Government plans to file charges against former officials of the Department of Health (DOH) and a private medicine supplier after admitting liability on the effects of Dengvaxia, the anti-dengue vaccine.

In an interview with SunStar Cebu, the employee, who is also a lawyer, is asking not to be named because he is still studying the charges.

“The company has already admitted liability then there is no need to prove their negligence. The issue there is rectifying their mistake and indemnification of the parties affected,” he said.

Dengvaxia, also referred to as CYD-TDV, is the first licensed dengue vaccine that was developed by Sanofi Pasteur.

He also asked those who availed themselves of the vaccine to join him in the complaint. Some have already expressed interest in the filing of a class suit.

The employee said that he, his two minor children and two others received the vaccine to supposedly protect them from the deadly disease. His now 14-year-old son had contracted dengue in 2012.

Last Friday, DOH suspended its P3-billion dengue vaccination program after a new analysis revealed that Dengvaxia poses greater risk of severe dengue fever to those who have not been previously infected with the virus.

When he learned about it, the employee said he was disappointed and felt betrayed.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, in a news conference, had asked the public not to panic, saying they are intensifying moni-

The vaccine should really only be used in places where there is a lot of dengue activity and where most children who receive it will have already had at least one bout of the disease. Journal Science study quoted by an article posted on statnews.com

toring and surveillance of the children, aged nine and above, who have received the vaccine.

According to the records of DOH, a total of 733,713 children from Central Luzon, Calabarzon and National Capital Region received Dengvaxia as of last month.

Dengvaxia is given to persons aged nine to 45 as a three-dose series on a 0/6/12 month schedule.

According to the study that was published in the Journal Science and quoted by an article posted on statnews.com, the vaccine should really only be used in places where there is a lot of dengue activity and where most children who receive it will have already had at least one bout of the disease.

“That’s because data from the studies used to approve the vaccine... showed a higher rate of hospitalizations for dengue three years after vaccination in young children who got the vaccine when compared to children who were unvaccinated,” the article read.

Children who had not been exposed to dengue infections when they were vaccinated have an increased risk in contracting the virus, the study added.