Students in Bohol were not administered with Dengvaxia, the Department of Education (DepEd) assured the public following a disclosure by the manufacturer of the anti-dengue vaccine noting that it could cause serious harm.
According to Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Wilfreda Bongalos, DepEd scoured records and found out that none of the province’s students have been part of the government’s immunization program.
The Department of Health (DOH) previously coordinated with DepEd Bohol supposedly for the anti-dengue vaccination campaign but vaccines were not delivered, said Bongalos.
For his part, Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot also confirmed that none of the P3.5 billion worth of vaccine vials purchased by the government early last year made it to the PHO.
The DOH announced the suspension of the mass vaccination program on Friday, two days after French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur disclosed that the vaccine could be harmful to people without prior infection.
After the disclosure, Sanofi however allayed fears on the dangers of the vaccine noting that it was subjected to rigorous tests for 20 years.
It also denied the previous report of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption which noted that three children who were vaccinated died due to the vaccine.
Health authorities last week launched an investigation on the case while Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, chair of the Senate health committee, said that he intends to conduct an inquiry into the dengue vaccination program.
So far, 733,000 public school students aged 9 and above in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon have been administered with the vaccine.
The mass immunization program was launched in April last year.
Government payment to Sanofi for the billions-worth of vaccines has been completed. (Rey Tutas)