Candaba town creates ‘Task Force Dengvaxia’

CANDABA - Following the death of a Dengvaxia-vaccinated grade six student from this town, the local government of Candaba has created a task force to further monitor school children who received the vaccine.

Municipal Health Officer Dr. Preny C. Manimbo disclosed that “Task Force Dengvaxia” was created through an executive order signed by Mayor Danilo Baylon, who will also serve as the chairman of the group.

Manimbo said that the task force is the first to be created in the whole province solely intended to assist teachers and parents of children who received the Dengvaxia vaccine under the school-based mass immunization program of the Department of Health.

She stressed that the task force is composed of local officials, barangay captains and health officials in the town whose main role is to monitor the vaccinated children and provide immediate response if necessary.

She added that the group will also conduct information dissemination in different schools and public areas in the town to educate families and parents, as well as children on what to do if they see or feel symptoms of dengue.

“We constantly remind parents of vaccinated children to be keen on the monitoring the condition of their kids, regardless of the number of doses they received. And with the new task force, we can widen our scope in educating the parents of the possible symptoms and advise them to immediately bring their children to a hospital once they have fever,” she said.

Manimbo also disclosed that they will also launch a hotline for the public to call in case of emergencies and if they have questions about the vaccine and dengue disease as a whole.

Manimbo said that the launching of “Task Force Dengvaxia” and the hotline number is set next week as they are still finalizing data and information to make sure it will be useful.