Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta claimed her nephew died after receiving Dengvaxia, the vaccine against dengue.
According to PAO Forensic Laboratory senior medical expert Dr. Alexis Sulit, Acosta’s nephew was 14-year-old Sam Gabriel Mendoza.
“Died po Dec. 26,2020 at Maheseco Hospital, Bataan (He died last Dec. 26 at the Maheseco Hospital in Bataan province),” said Sulit.
Sulit said Mendoza was the 161st Dengvaxia vaccine who underwent autopsy through the PAO forensic team.
The medical expert said the child was autopsied on Monday, December 28, upon the request of his family.
Sulit said the results showed similar findings with the other Dengvaxi recipients who died and were autopsied by the PAO forensic team.
“Immediate cause of death is cerebral hemorrhage and edema saka (as well as) pulmonary hemorrhage and edema,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sulit said the PAO chief Acosta has vowed the family of her nephew that she will help them in bringing justice.
“Tutulungan po namin sa abot ng makakaya mabigyan ng katarungan ung pagkamatay (We will help the family as far as we could to help bring justice),” Sulit stated.
PAO has been following the 2017 order of then Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II to “extend free legal assistance in civil, criminal and administrative cases to all possible victims of Dengvaxia related injuries, illnesses, and deaths.”
PAO chief claims nephew dies of Dengvaxia
In November 2017, the government halted the school-based dengue vaccination program after Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia, advised against giving the vaccine to individuals who had not acquired dengue as it could cause severe side effects in the long run.
Due to the Dengvaxia controversy, the public’s vaccine confidence dropped from 92% to 33%.
In 2018, a measles outbreak occurred in the Philippines, which was blamed on the lack of public confidence in vaccines due to the controversy.
In 2019, a polio outbreak also occurred after 19 years. It was also blamed on the Dengvaxia because parents were afraid to have their children immunized against the poliovirus.