Another Dengvaxia victim expires

Like other Dengvaxia deaths, the 151st victim of the controversial vaccine intended against Dengue died a day after Christmas due to multiple organ failure very much like the others ahead of her.

Fourteen-year old Noreen of North Caloocan City suffered cardiac arrest on 25 December and was brought to the hospital early hours the following day. She however failed to survive to the chagrin of her mother and siblings.

Dr. Erwin Erfe, head of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Forensic Team, said based on their initial forensic examination, the 14-year old victim’s internal organs were enlarged which was irregular and there was massive internal bleeding.

This is the same situation they saw from the other victims consistent with the symptoms as a result of the inoculation of the Dengvaxia vaccine which was still on trial when it was approved for use to almost a million people mostly students.

Erfe said based on the clinical history of the victim, the fourth in five siblings, she was inoculated twice, the first on August 2017 and on December 2018 at their school in Caloocan City.

The forensic chief said this runs counter to the order of the Department of Health on 30 November 2017 that the inoculation should stop.

“We are surprised by this since Secretary Duque has already ordered a stop to the injection, yet this latest victim was innoculated February 2017 and December 2018,” Erfe said.

He further said that the said procedure is highly irregular and it is most likely that they did not get the consent of the parents of the school children about the said activity in school.

Prior to the procedure, the victim was very active and has never been confined to a hospital. She was not even diagnosed with dengue but on September 2019 she experienced repeated menstruation and her skin blackened.