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Page added on December 29, 2017

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Number of children injected with Dengvaxia is actually more than 800,000 – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has revealed that over 800,000 children aged nine and above were given Dengvaxia vaccine when the government’s anti-dengue immunization program was launched in March 2016.

Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo believes the number will still increase while they are consolidating the reports coming from regional health offices.

“We are regularly getting the reports but it’s not on real time. So, during those first days on December 1, we have on record here is 700,000 plus. All in all, including Region 7, we have more than 800,000 children who received at least one dose,” said the undersecretary.

June 2017 when the first dose of Dengvaxia was given to the 159,766 children in Region 7 under the community-based immunization program.

These covered school children in Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Metro Cebu.

DOH also clarified that none of the reported deaths allegedly related to Dengvaxia has been confirmed until now.

“Sa aming pagmomonitor wala pa kaming nakitang kaso na namatay na nabakunahan dahil sa Dengvaxia. Ibig sabihin na ang dahilan ay dahil sa bakuna wala pa kaming nakikitang ganoong pagkakataon. So, walang basehan na kapag nabakunahan ka ng Dengvaxia ay mamamatay ka,” said Bayugo.

(In our monitoring, we have not encountered any case of death that was due to the vaccination of Dengvaxia. It means, we have yet to see an instance where the vaccine was the cause [of death]. So, the allegation that Dengvaxia results in death when injected, is baseless.)

DOH hopes that experts could come up with a clear and intensive study on the effects of Dengvaxia before the administration of its third dose in April 2018.

DOH is also preparing the necessary documents and information in case the Senate committee requires them to present at the hearing on the controversy next week.