Doctors tell 15,000 cops, civilians who got Dengvaxia not to worry

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Doctors tell 15,000 cops, civilians who got Dengvaxia not to worry
The Philippine Children's Medical Center, whose doctors administered the vaccine, assures the police of free hospitalization should they contract severe dengue

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), whose doctors administered vaccines to thousands of policemen, their dependents, and walk-in civilians, has given assuranes the vaccine should not worry about adverse effects. 

Chief Inspector Josephine Nandu, chief of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Health Service, got this assurance after meeting the PCMC representatives on behalf of district personnel, who had heard reports of the vaccine’s risks.

Sanofi Pastuer has revealed that continued tests over the years showed those who got the vaccine for preventive purposes – or those who had not been infected with dengue before – faced the risk of getting severe dengue. (READ: Sanofi: Dengvaxia not guaranteed to prevent dengue)

Nandu said 800 cops from the QCPD and 533 civilians from Quezon City availed themselves of the free vaccines in September.

They were among the 14,782 recipients who came to QC during the vaccination drive. The other vaccine recipients, according to the QCPD Health Section, were policemen, their dependents, and civilians from: 

  • Camp Crame
  • Southern Police District in Taguig
  • Camp Bagong Diwa
  • Culiat
  • Capinpin
  • La Union
  • Sta Rosa
  • Camp Olivas in Pampanga
  • Department of the Interior and Local Government
  • New Bilibid 

Nandu said she was assured by PCMC that because they only got the first of the 3 doses of Dengvaxia, they would not experience the full effect of the vaccine.

 

The second dose was scheduled to be injected in February 2018. That has now been cancelled since the producer of Dengvaxia, pharmaceutical giant  Sanofi Pasteur, was ordered by Food and Drug Administration to pull the vaccine out of the market. (READ: FDA orders market pullout of Dengvaxia vaccine)

The chief inspector also clarified reports about the vaccinated pregnant cop, who claimed she was worried for her baby’s life. Nandu said the cop, who was not named, availed herself of the vaccine prior to getting pregnant. 

Nandu said she had since talked to the policewoman and the latter acknowledged she was warned not to get pregnant for 3 months after she was injected with the vaccine.

For monitoring, the QCPD asked all the police and civilians who were given the first dose of Dengvaxia to report to Camp Caringal on Sunday, December 10. All the recipients will be profiled and given new cards, which would serve as proof that they availed themselves of the vaccine. 

“They will be given cards so that, if they feel any symptoms [of dengue], they will be accommodated by PCMC for free,” Nandu said. “But, so far, no one is worried,” she added.

Sanofi was asked during its press con on Monday if it would shoulder the costs of individuals who might contract severe dengue after having received the vaccine. The company only said it was collaborating with the DOH and would continue to monitor cases. – Rappler.com

 

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