DOH not yet attributing drop in dengue cases to renewed trust in vaccines

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said it is still too early to say if the decrease in the number of dengue cases this year can be attributed to parents' renewed trust to vaccines following the 2017 Dengvaxia controversy.

“Last year, nagkaroon tayo ng studies with our development partners at iyong numero talaga, may lost of confidence and trust, kaya uulitin natin iyon (study) bago natin masabi why people or why mothers do not bring their children in for a vaccine,” DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said at a virtual forum.

“We can’t really make an assumption on that matter as there are other factors [to be considered],” she added.

Based on DOH data, the number of dengue cases in the country dropped to 50,169 from January to May this year, or 46% lower than the 92,808 cases recorded during the same period last year

Dr. Norielyn Evangelista, director of the DOH's National Dengue Prevention and Control Program, attributed the drop to the public’s familiarity on how to combat dengue and to increased health awareness amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Isa sa mga nakikita nating rason ay self-protection. Tumaas talaga ang health awareness ng mga tao dahil sa COVID-19. Lagi nating naririnig na health is wealth, pero ngayon, talagang nariyan ang paglilinis ng tahanan, paghuhugas ng kamay,” Evangelista said at the same forum.

The Dengvaxia controversy set off after French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur announced in November 2017 that the anti-dengue vaccine may lead to more severe symptoms of dengue for those who have never been infected by the virus prior to vaccination.

Sanofi’s announcement only came after more than 800,000 people in the country had already been injected with the Dengvaxia vaccine.

This fear of government-sanctioned vaccine has resulted in increases of cases of dengue, measles and the re-emergence of polio in the country.

“Maraming factors, and we don’t just rely on the vaccine in battling dengue. There is interplay of intervention. As to the fear of getting a vaccine, minumulat pa rin natin ang ating mga kababayan na hindi tayo dapat matakot sa bakuna dahil kailangan natin ito para maiwasan ang sakit, hindi lang ang dengue kundi pati ibang sakit such as measles and polio,” Evangelista said. --KBK, GMA News