DOH Initially Immunized Over 80,000 Children With Anti-Dengue Vaccine

The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday that it had vaccinated more 81,665 school children ages nine years old against dengue under its first-ever free dengue immunization program to public schools of three selected regions in the country.

As of April 11, a total of 81,665 pupils had been initially immunized with its on-going dengue vaccination program nationwide from the total target of 1 million grade 4 school children in Regions of National Capital Region, CALABARZON, and Central Luzon.

The on-going free-dengue vaccination being implemented under DOH school-based immunization program is being conducted through school-based immunization program through the cooperation with Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and supervised by partners from different medical groups and other international and local partners

Children who were immunized started receiving the initial or first dose last April 4 when it was launched first in Parang Marikina Public School in Marikina City which was led by Health Secretary Janette L. Garin.

The same launching was made in Iba, Zambales on April 5 with President Benigno S. Aquino III joined Secretary Garin in the immunization.

The anti-dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia) comprised of three doses which were all scheduled to be injected in six-monthly intervals.

This means that the next two doses will be given to the same students who received the first dose after six months while the third dose will be administered after six months from the second dose.

The vaccine was made available to the “poor children” as one of President Aquino’s goal of reducing the “gaps” between the rich and the poor in terms of accessing “hard to afford” cost of vaccines that can help reduce vulnerability to vaccine-preventable illnesses.

The vaccine was procured at a discounted price by the DOH through the initiative of the government when it talked with officials of Sanofi Pasteur (manufacturer of the vaccine) and the latter agreed that it become a sort or part of “corporate social responsibility” to make the said vaccine affordable only by the rich, be access also by the poor who cannot afford to set aside portion of their income or hard-earned money for it.

The anti-dengue vaccine was procured at PHP3.5 billion for the one million targeted grade four school-children from public schools.

The anti-dengue vaccine, being the first-ever dengue vaccine in the world price in private hospitals and clinics was so high in private clinics and hospitals (estimated price but not confirmed—PHP15,000 or higher for the three doses).

The scheduled first dose of the vaccine will b­e completed from April to June 2016; it will be followed with a second dose from October–December 2016; while the last dose will be given from April-June 2017.

All in all the total duration of the free dengue vaccination will be 20 months.

Meanwhile, the agency noted some 107 cases of Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) based from reported monitoring which were recorded for transparency.

“This is less than one percent of the total immunized children. The top four common reactions were fever, dizziness, vomiting, and rash,” said Secretary Garin.

Garin clarified earlier or prior to vaccination that there are some common reactions that will be observed to some children during immunization which can subside within 24 hours.

In addition, the DOH and other experts earlier explained that such “mild reactions” are usually common to occur and observed among children because of the pain in injection site, fear of injection site or in cases if children did not took breakfast prior to immunization.

Philippines had the highest incidence of dengue in the Western Pacific Region from 2013 to 2015.

As of March 26, a total of 31,809 suspected dengue cases were reported nationwide.

This is 32.8 percent higher compared to the same time period last year which had a total of 23,951 cases.

Most of the cases were from Region 4-A with 5,130 cases out of 31,809 (16.1 percent); Region 3 with 4,203 cases (13.2 percent); and Region 7 with 3,479 cases (10.9 percent).

In the midst of the anti-dengue vaccination program being conducted, the DOH still reiterated that “cleanliness and keeping the surrounding clean which does not encourages growth and spread of mosquitoes should not be stopped and be further intensified so as to make the anti-dengue vaccination succeed in stopping the spread of dengue disease which can infect a person in a lifetime up to four times because it has four strains.

The anti-dengue vaccine meant to protect the children immunized from the said four strains of dengue.

In addition, the vaccinated children will help in cutting the source of dengue disease or the four strains it can bring.

The vaccine is also expected to help in reducing the cost for hospitalization and severe dengue infection.(PNA) FFC/LSJ/EBP