Vaccine scaremongers should be held accountable for measles outbreak —Drilon

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said vaccine scaremongers should not be allowed to get away for spreading fear about the measles vaccine that led to the outbreak of the contagious disease.

According to a report by JP Soriano on GMA News TV's State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, the Philippines has been ranked by the World Health Organization as third worldwide with the highest incidence of measles over a 12-month period until July this year.

"Natakot iyong mga magulang na dalhin iyong anak nila para sa bakuna," Drilon said. 

"Now I think it's a known fact that PAO (Public Attorneys' Office) has taken it upon themselves to go hammer and thongs on this issue.  We, public officials, are held accountable for the consequences of our official acts," Drilon added.

Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Acosta had claimed that anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia had caused the deaths of a number of children inoculated with it, causing public scare and resulting in the drop in the country's immunization rate.

GMA News has contacted Acosta to react on Drilon's statement, but she has yet to issue a reply.

Earlier, Acosta said her office merely extended aid to the families of the Dengvaxia-vaccinated children who died.

According to the report, from 105 cases brought to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila  last year, the number rose to 3,072 cases this year.

In Bicol region, there were 1,336 measles cases from January to August this year, including 15 deaths.

The Department of Health said they are conducting house-to-house visits in some areas to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated. —LDF, GMA News