DOH to give dengue kits to parents of kids who received Dengvaxia

Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Wednesday said the department will give dengue kits to the parents of children who had been vaccinated with the controversial Dengvaxia.

Duque said since the dengue kits are limited, he is planning to ask permission from the Office of the President and Congress to use part of the refunded money from Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur to purchase more kits.

"Meron tayong ibibigay na mga kits. Ngunit ang akin pong pakiusap sa kanila, ito ay limitado pa, hindi pa natin kayang ibigay sa lahat dahil dadaan pa ho ito sa proseso ng procurement and bidding," Duque said in a press conference after the dialogue with the parents of the children who had received a shot of Dengvaxia.

"Kailangan pa rin ng pondo at patungkol dito, kami ay susulat sa Kongreso at sa Office of the President para magkaron kami ng awtoridad na gamitin ang bahagi ng naibalik na kaperahan para doon sa mga hindi nagamit na bakuna na Dengvaxia para matustusan ang mga pangangailangan ng magulang ng mga nabakunahan."

According to Duque, Sanofi Pasteur already refunded more than P1 billion for the unused Dengvaxia vaccines.

"Kami po ay magpupursige para makatukoy ng kaperahan para ho maibigay 'yung suporta na ibinibigay ng Department of Health para sa mga magulang," he said.

Doctor Maria Francia Laxamana, assistant secretary of health of the agency's Office for Technical Services, said the procurement process for the dengue kits has started in other regions. The kit contains insect repellant, medicines for fever, a thermometer, Oresol and soap.

"Hindi po agaran talagang mabibigay pero sa ibang health center, namimigay muna po para sa lagnat, mga hinihingi po muna nilang vitamins... 'Yung iba po, tuloy-tuloy na pamimigay 'yung Region IV-A, NCR, Region III atsaka Cebu, ongoing na po ang process ng procurement ng lahat ng aming gagamitin," Laxamana said.

Dialogue with parents

Prior to the press briefing, Duque had a dialogue with more or less 10 parents of kids who had been administered with Dengvaxia vaccine. It was, however, not open to the media.

The Health chief said the parents have expressed apprehensions regarding medical expenses and hospital fees once they bring their children to the hospital.

"Papano daw kung malayo 'yung pampublikong pagamutan, 'yung mga pribadong ospital naman makakasiguro daw ba na di na sila sisingilin na mas mataas pa sa bayad ng PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.)," Duque said.

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

Duque has instructed the PhilHealth to shoulder the expenses of dengue patients.

During the talk, Duque said he has assured the parents that the agency would continue to assist them. "Siyempre 'yung mga hinihiling nila na multivitamins at mga iba pang commodities ay amin pong pipilitin na maibigay ito," he said.

Duque said they have a Facebook group where they communicate with the parents of the concerned children. There are more or less 28,000 members of the group who come from different regions.

The dengue immunization program was stopped by Duque in December last year 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.

There has been ongoing investigations on the issue.

The result of the study of health experts in University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital (UP - PGH) has showed that of the 14 children whose deaths they examined, only three died of dengue, and none could be directly attributable to Dengvaxia.

This was in contrast to the findings of the forensic examination of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

On Monday, former President Benigno Aquino III, former Health chief Janette Garin, former Budget secretary Florencio Abad and other individuals have been slapped with criminal complaints over their alleged liability in the purchase of the Dengvaxia vaccine.

The complaints were filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution, Incorporated (VPCI) before the Department of Justice, accusing the respondents of committing multiple homicide and physical injuries through criminal negligence, graft, technical malversation, and violation of the procurement law. — KBK, GMA News