Signs of severe dengue found on 10-year-old's corpse – PAO

Public Attorney's Office (PAO) forensic doctors had started examining the exhumed corpse of 10-year-old Anjielica Pestilos, after her parents speculated that she had died from a severe case of dengue after being given the Dengvaxia vaccine.

PAO Forensics Chief Dr. Erwin Erfe told GMA 7 news program "24 Oras" on Friday that there were  signs similar to severe dengue on Pestilos' body.

"May nakita kaming areas na may bleeding doon sa bibig, sa gums, at dun sa mucosa dun sa bibig, may nakita kaming signs of bleeding. Pangalawa, yuong bleeding dito sa stomach, at pangatlo yung extensive bleeding dito sa lungs," Erfe said.

Anjielica's death certificate said she had died from systemic lupus erythematosus.

Angelica's parents said that their daughter had been inoculated with the dengue vaccine on September. She died three months later on December 15.

Meanwhile, authorities were paying close attention to Anjielica's cousin, who was also in hospital with symptoms similar to the deceased child.

Like Anjielica, the cousin also had no previous history with dengue before being injected with Dengvaxia.

PAO chief Persida Acosta had claimed earlier that the Pestiloses were the first of many parents who had claimed that their child died after they were vaccinated with Dengvaxia. 

The Department of Health officially stopped the distribution of Dengvaxia after manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur revealed that its use needed to be limited as it could cause severe illness in individuals who have not had dengue prior to inoculation.

An estimated 830,000 students aged 9 and older from public schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Cebu had received the dengue vaccine. — Rie Takumi/DVM, GMA News