By AARON B. RECUENCO
The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday said 14,000 policemen have been administered with the Dengvaxia vaccine which was found out to harm those who have yet to be afflicted with dengue, a mosquito-borne disease.
As a result, PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has ordered the PNP Health Service to strictly monitor all those who were given the vaccine.
“That is 14,000. Kawawa naman kung may mangyari sa kanila,” Dela Rosa said.
Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, director of the PNP Health Service, said the first batch of policemen was vaccinated last September.
The second batch got injected with the vaccine last Nov. 21, or just eight days before French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur’s announcement that there was something wrong with the Dengvaxia, according to Carranza.
“The second batch was done during the Health Service anniversary on Nov. 21, or just a month ago,” said Carranza.
Following Dela Rosa’s order, Carranza said they have not monitored any adverse effect even from the first batch of policemen who got the dose.
He, however, said that they decided to put up help desk to cater to policemen who were vaccinated.
“There are help desks so that if they notice some symptoms, they would be advised to go to any government hospital, including the PNP General Hospital,” said Carranza.
The official said they also started meeting with some of the policemen and with the health experts from Philippine Children Medical Center where the vaccine came from, to discuss it.
“We had a dialogue with PCMC yesterday and all Crame-based personnel who were vaccinated. They had asked everything and but they were given assurance that there will no serious effects,” said Carranza.
More than 800,000 people, mostly children, were vaccinated by Dengvaxia since the government launched the vaccination program in March 2016.
On Nov. 29, Sanofi announced its new analysis that the Dengvaxia provides protective benefits to those who were already infected by the virus but could cause severe disease to those who were not infected before the vaccination.
