Independent team starts probe into infants’ death
Members of the Regional Adverse Effects Following Immunization Committee (RAEFI) have convened yesterday to look into the death of two infants in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City whose parents blame it on the pentavalent vaccines administered to them.
Department of Health (DOH)-7's Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) Cluster Head Dr. Shelbay Blanco also joined the team in the initial phase of the ongoing investigation.
“In behalf of RAEFI committee, our experts have already convened and given us inputs but they are still waiting for the documents needed for the official report,” Blanco said.
Among the documents Blanco is referring to are the official copy of the laboratory results. These results were from the laboratory tests of the clinical procedures the babies had undergone when still admitted at the hospitals.
Both Ghirvaughn Limpangog (3 months) and Ayesha Suson (4 months) died last Nov. 11 at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), where the two infants were referred to.
The families of the two babies pointed to the vaccines administered last Nov. 8 at the barangay health center that has weakened the babies' conditions that resulted to their death.
RAEFI is a five-man special body that is independent from DOH-7. All members are doctors that specialize in various fields of medicine.
Blanco said the committee is composed of three private practitioners connected with different hospitals and two physicians working at VSMMC.
Though VSMMC is a DOH-retained hospital, Blanco clarified that the physicians are not directly affiliated with DOH-7 as they are also practicing medicine in private hospitals.
The DOH-7's initial inquiry discarded the possibility that the infants' death was vaccine-related.
Meanwhile, the midwife who injected the pentavalent vaccine denied allegations and insinuations that there was negligence on her part that caused the death of the two infants.
Midwife Grecilda “Grace” Malingin, 56, said that she practiced her profession as a public health midwife in the city for 33 years, but it was only this time that she was accused of negligence.
“Ibutang jud na namo sa ref then ibutang namo sa vaccine carrier usa namo i-inject kada bata,” she said.
She also explained that before they inject the vaccine, they check the vital signs of the infant to make sure that the condition of the baby is okay and that they explain to parents about the vaccine that would be injected.
One of the mothers who had her infant injected on the same day Limpangog and Suson were given the vaccines supported the midwife's claim.
Hazel Depison, 27, said her four-month old son had the second dose of the vaccine, but had experienced slight fever only.
“Gipangutana jud mi og naa bay gibati ang bata, naa bay ubo or sip-on, nya wala ra man,” Depison said.
After the vaccine was injected, her son had a slight fever, but it only lasted for a night.
EQUIPMENT
She explained that the syringes are not overdosed because they use the auto-locked syringes that they got from the DOH.
“Usa ka vial, usa ra gyud na ka syringe. Nya one baby, one syringe. Mao nang katong pagkahitabo-a wa ko kahibaw ngano. After pa gyud namog injection, amo pa jud silang ingnon nga ‘Mama, simbako, hilantan inyong mga anak gani, inyo na iligo og sponge bath ug mahimo inyong paimnon ug paracetamol',” she added.
AFFECTED
Malingin added that the allegations have also affected her family.
“Affected kayo akong mga anak. Sige'g panawag. Sus, dili lalim diay na akusahan ka nya dili diay nimo binuhatan. Nagtinarong tas serbisyo nya ingnon-anaon lang bitaw,” she said.
As a veteran in public service, she said that she does not want her patients to end up losing their lives because of her.
“Ako lang ipadangat nga ang katong nahitabo, wala gyud ko nag-expect na ingon ana ang nahitabo kay di baya ka gusto na imong mga pasyente maingon ana,” she said.