DOH partners with PGH to assess deaths linked to Dengvaxia

The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Thursday that the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) will assist in the validation of deaths among children vaccinated with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

In a press conference at the DOH headquarters, Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III said UP-PGH will conduct third-party independent review of cases forwarded to the agency to “erase doubts from other sectors that the DOH may be concealing information relevant to Dengvaxia vaccination.”

Health Undersecretary Dr. Herminigildo Valle said DOH's Epidemiology Bureau has already received information on 133 cases of individuals hospitalized after vaccination, and on 36 who were hospitalized due to dengue though reports did not specify if they contracted severe dengue.

No timeline could be given on the processing of the cases, but DOH Undersecretary Dr. Rolando Domingo assured that they are collating information on all known cases for UP-PGH to review.

“Once we have this, I think we're thinking of three cases that we might be referring for review, for the clinical side. And if needed, we have two forensic pathologists at PGH who will be working with us,” Domingo said.

Results will be released two weeks after UP-PGH conducts their independent clinical review of the cases.

“The advantage of having PGH is they have multispecialists, and they are people who are the best in their fields. 'Pag may confounding na ibang illnesses, specialists will be able to say if the symptoms or the findings and the laboratory examinations are consistent with dengue or something else,” Domingo explained.

“Another thing is an actual autopsy, or forensic pathology review of the mortality. But it's going to be basically laboratory exams. We're also trying to trace (with the labs) where the patients were admitted if they have blood samples of the patients that we can do further testing on,” he added.

Duque said they are consolidating data on the alleged deaths caused by the dengue vaccine to be assessed by the UP-PGH.

"We have alleged deaths," he said. "But we need to get and consolidate the medical chart or the documents inside the clinical charts and that's why we said UP-PGH experts will be the third party review body to examine what were the circumstances attendant to the alleged death due to Dengvaxia."

Both the Palace and vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur assured the public that Dengvaxia itself does not cause severe dengue or other illnesses.

All 830,000 students in Regions III, IV-A, and the National Capital Region who received the dengue vaccine will be monitored as it was not recorded who among them contracted dengue before being vaccinated.

Sanofi Pasteur revealed last November that Dengvaxia may cause serious illness in subjects who have yet to be infected by dengue prior to vaccination.

DOH's Task Force Dengvaxia continues to monitor adverse events following immunization (AEFI) on a national scale.

Part of its initiatives include monitoring the dengue/Dengvaxia hotlines 711-1001 and 711-1002, on which they have so far received 700 calls from concerned parents and other stakeholders.

The DOH reminded parents that they may avail of PhilHealth's case rate package worth P8,000 to P16,000 in case their children contract dengue as long as they show their Dengue Immunization Card.

A sample of the dengue vaccine immunization record/card given to parents of children vaccinated with Dengvaxia as part of the Dengue Immunization program: pic.twitter.com/QUj59r26m8

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) December 21, 2017

The Department of Health gives pointers on what parents can do if their children received Dengvaxia or if their children develop severe dengue after vaccination.
Parents must show their children's Dengue Immunization Card to ensure they receive PhilHealth's aid for hospital bills pic.twitter.com/nHyB24ZUZA

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) December 21, 2017

The department reminded parents to check their children for dengue symptoms and to reduce their children's chances of contracting dengue by following the 4S: Search and destroy mosquito breeding places; use Self-protection measures; Seek early consultation for fevers; and Say yes to fogging when there is an outbreak.

The Department of Health lists down the symptoms of dengue, what parents must do once they spot the symptoms, and what they can do to ensure their children are safe from dengue-carrying mosquitos. pic.twitter.com/bCKMdYATGB

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) December 21, 2017

—KG/KBK, GMA News