57 elementary students complete dengue vaccine doses given by DOH

Fifty-seven students from Hen. Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Makati City were given their third and final dose of dengue vaccine on Monday, lowering their chances of contracting the deadly disease.

A report by Mark Salazar in Balita Pilipinas on Monday said that the Department of Health (DOH) began the initiative in 2016.

The Makati Health Department had monitored the 57 students for common side effects of vaccines, such as headaches, dizziness, and fever.

The National Capital Region was one of the regions prioritized by DOH due to the high number of dengue cases every year, especially during rainy season, the report said.

While the vaccine does not ensure that the children will be safe from the mosquito-borne virus, it will lower the chances of being infected.

The report added that the vaccine has already lowered the mortality rate by 90 percent, hospitalization by 80 percent, while 60 percent avoided being infected with dengue completely. —Jessica Bartolome/KG, GMA News