DENGVAXIA: Past & Today's action

Vaccination has been an important part of the lives of Filipino children especially infants and
students like anti-measles, anti-tetanus and dengue vaccine to protect them from certain diseases.
Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education (DepEd) collaborate to provide essential and
free vaccines for public and private schools. But, what if an immunization we hope to be the defense
against severe diseases made the patient more sick and may have put his life at risk?

This is what happen in the Dengvaxia controversy: around 10 percent of over 800,000 students who
were immunized with Dengvaxia, but did not have a prior dengue infection, now face contracting a
"severe diseases", according to the vaccine's manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

Consequently, DOH with partnership of DepEd, conduct a Dengvaxia Advocacy Program in different
public and private schools, in particular, San Paschal National High School on Aug. 18 with the
attendance of parents and teachers of Grade 7 students.

Dengvaxia profiling is the main subject of the program which includes the personal health history of the
child, medical provision such as his/her recent illness since birth and medicines he takes everyday or his
maintenance, plus the emergency contact of the parents or guardians. This agenda will be implement
on Sep. 12-14 to observe the health and condition of Grade 7 students of San Paschal NHS.

The importance of this program is to have based-life data about the students and to monitor their
health on time, according to Ms. Fay of NDP Nurses. "The profile of the recipient under schedule of
physical examination will generate evidence, statement, and data. An individual health profile is
important to manage the health information", stated by Physical Director Eduardo Hanaygo.

There will have schedule of profiling per section of Grade 7 starting on September 12 to 14. The parents
and students should bring the following: Immunization record, Xerox & Original Copy of Philhealth and
Dengvaxia Card.
"Kaya po tayo ay Sep. 12-14 ay para magkaroon tayo ng sapat na araw ng paghahanda ng mga
kukuhanin. Ang mga hindi taga-San Pascual ay pwedeng kumuha ng Rural Health Unit doon sa Batangas
Medical Center. Tayo po ay magtutulungan sa pagsasagawa ng profiling", noted by Ms. Dulce Amor M.
Abante, Principal III.

Therefore, cooperation and willingness of students and parents is indeed a great way to give an
immediate treatment if there will have severe cases of dengue also, the side effects a student may
experiences.

We cannot remake the past neither we can change our previous action but instead what's important is
the present, how we are going to face the consequences of our action. At the same time, we must learn
to accept the results of our imprudent decision regarding Dengvaxia and cooperate with the government
and our doctors to observe our child's health on time.