Teen’s family sees link between Dengvaxia dose and her death

The family of 13-year old Abbie Hedia is convinced that her sudden death last week is connected to the single dose of Dengvaxia she was given last November at their barangay health center.

Abbie’s mother Ruby Hedia says her daughter suddenly developed a fever last Wednesday, with vomiting and loose bowels. Doctors at first said it was just the flu.

Abbie died on Saturday. The death certificate issued by the Office of the Civil Registrar General on Tuesday states that the immediate cause of death was septic shock, with viral encephalitis stated as the antecedent cause and acute gastroenteritis with severe dehydration as the underlying cause.

Although the doctors told Hedia that the Dengvaxia dose was not connected to her daughter’s illness, she believes otherwise, saying that Abbie should have gotten better after being given antibiotics.

Hedia says her family will join the legal action the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) is planning to file in connection with the Dengvaxia controversy.

On Wednesday, VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez visited Abbie's wake to express his sympathies for the grieving family and to vow that justice will be served.

Jimenez also challenged Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque to act on cases where dengue patients are allegedly being charged with medical fees despite his previous order that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will shoulder them.

"China-challenge ko po si Secretary Duque: pwede ba umaksyon ka na ngayon? Madami na pong kababayan natin ang sinisingil pa kahit nagbigay na ng announcement," Jimenez said.

In a separate press conference Wednesday afternoon, Duque said that the DOH is dealing with the issue of medical expenses.

"Ang mga pribadong ospital nakausap na natin... kung ano nabayad ng PhiHhealth, dapat sapat na po ito," Duque said.

He also said that the DOH will appeal to Congress and the Office of the President to allow the department to use the amount refunded by Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur on dengue kits and to offset the medical expenses of those who were injected with the vaccine.

The DOH stopped its dengue immunization program last December after Sanofi Pasteur issued an advisory that Dengvaxia should not be given to children who have not had dengue before.

At least 830,000 schoolchildren have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia since the program was launched in April 2016. — with a report by Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News