Officials are currently monitoring the health of thousands of schoolchildren given the Dengvaxia vaccine. This is after the deaths of five children were linked to the controversial vaccine.
PAO links Dengvaxia vaccine to deaths of 5 children
Dr. Erwin Erfe, director of the PAO Forensic Laboratory said that forensic examiners have found a pattern between the cases of five children who reportedly died from the vaccine.
Erfe said, “[W]e found massive bleeding in the brain. There’s a lot of blood in the scalp, [in] the heart, lungs and in the stomach,” referring to the case of a boy from Sampaloc, Manila, who recently died.
In another case, an 11-year-old boy from Bataan was examined. It was found that the boy died within 12 hours of developing a headache and high fever.
The controversial Dengvaxia vaccine was touted as a means of preventing dengue infections in the country.
The children experienced similar symptoms before dying
According to Erfe, all of the children who died allegedly due to the Dengvaxia vaccine all experienced similar symptoms.
All of them suffered from internal bleeding, and enlarged organs. And all the children died within six months of receiving the vaccine.
PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta added that 21 people, including a pregnant 15-year-old girl, were taken to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City.
“They all have fever and rashes and they were all inoculated with Dengvaxia,” Acosta added.
Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain whether or not the vaccine is to blame for the deaths.
Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
Photos screencapped from rappler.com
READ: What moms and dads need to know about the Dengvaxia vaccine
