While the dengue vaccine has not been distributed throughout the country, prevention remains the chief factor in fighting off illnesses amid continuing incidences of the potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease, said the top official of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

According to PHO chief Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot, the Department of Health (DOH) started to give doses of dengue vaccine to children in several Luzon provinces, but the immunization program was put on hold after a child died following the vaccination.

However, it has not been proven whether the immunization caused the death while the DOH said that the dengue vaccination had nothing to do with the incident.

Cabagnot said that anti-dengue practices continuously being advocated by the DOH are currently the foremost protective measures against the disease.

He reminded the public of the “4 o’clock habit” which involves the cleanup of possible breeding sites of mosquitoes when the clock strikes 4 p.m.

Previously, the DOH also adopted the 4-S strategy to combat population increase of mosquitoes.

Cabagnot noted that 4-S stands for search and destroy mosquito-breeding places, use self-protection measures, seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days and say “no” to indiscriminate fogging.

The PHO sustains its drive against the dreaded dengue fever as 1,156 cases of the disease in Bohol have been recorded from January 1 until August 13, 2016.

Eight of the dengue cases resulted in the death of the patients. (Allen Doydora)