Father of girl who died 6 months after Dengvaxia shot seeks justice

Christine Mae de Guzman, photo from GMA News

After a grade 5 student  died of severe dengue after receiving the world’s first dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, her father called for justice on Thursday, saying that someone would have to be held responsible for the lives that were lost.

“Talagang kailangan managot kung sino po ‘yan, siguro kung hindi pa nasaksakan ang anak ko baka buhay pa po siya ngayon,” Nelson De Guzman, father of Christine Mae, said in an interview on "Dobol B sa News TV" on Thursday.



De Guzman said that he already sought assistance from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), who had asked the Department of Justice to examine the bodies of three children who were believed to have passed away because of the effects of the shots.

“Tutulungan daw po kami na panagutin kung sino ang puno’t dulo nung gumawa sa vaccination na ‘yan,” he added.

Dengvaxia is a Dengue vaccine administered to thousands of children under President Benigno Aquino III in 2016, and which turned out to be deadly, as admitted by Sanofi Pasteur, its manufacturer.

Under Aquino, the government spent 3.5 billion on the drug which was injected to 733,000 school children.



Christine, who had no history of dengue infection, developed severe headache and fever on October 11, 2016, was rushed to the Bataan General Hospital on October 14, and died on October 15. She received the first Dengvaxia shot in April 2016 when the vaccination program of the Department of Health was launched.

Asked for proof, “Meron po kaming pinanghahawakan na card niya,” he said.

Even after a year her daughter’s death, he said that they have yet to receive assistance from the Department of Health and from their local government unit.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier issued Department Order No. 763, ordering the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate and build a case against those responsible for supposedly placing public health in danger.

The vaccination program has been put on hold, and the drug has been suspended from the market by the Food and Drug Authority.

Source: gmanetwork.com

Love this article? Sharing is caring!