Another child dies: PAO records 74th alleged victim of Dengvaxia

The death toll potentially related to the controversial Dengvaxia mess rose to 74 as of Wednesday night, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta revealed.

Acosta said the latest death was recorded in Malolos, Bulacan, after PAO’s forensic team found in the child’s case the supposed pattern of deaths in other alleged victims of the vaccine.

Acosta lamented that the alleged number of fatalities could soon reach 75 if proven that the case of another deceased child in Muntinlupa shows the same pattern.

“Hanggang may namamatay ay sisigaw ng katarungan yung mga biktima at mga magulang,” she said over radio dzMM on Thursday.

(As long as the children die, victims and parents will continue to shout for justice.)

PAO’s forensic team found in the 74th victim the same complications in reported victims of Dengvaxia, including a bleeding brain and enlarged internal organs, Acosta said.

According to Acosta, these are similar to the potential effects that pharmaceutical company Sanofi, developer of Dengvaxia, warned about before the Department of Health purchased the vaccine.

Meanwhile, PAO on Wednesday also filed another criminal complaint against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and 36 others before the Department of Justice over the death of an 11-year old boy who received the vaccine.

READ: New complaint filed vs Garin, 36 others over Dengvaxia death

A total of 12 Dengvaxia-related cases have been filed as of posting but Acosta said they are preparing to file seven more from families in Cebu City.

She also disclosed that some “spearheaders” of the vaccine have allegedly tried to stop the PAO from further conducting autopsies on alleged victims.

“Pinipigilan tayo ng ibang spearheaders ng bakunang ito na mag-autopsy dahil lalong tumitibay at kumikinang ang paghingi ng hustisya ng mga bangkay ng mga batang ito na walang kamalay-malay nabakunahan,” she said.

(Some spearheaders try to stop us from doing autopsies because these further strengthen the demand for justice for the children who were vaccinated without knowing the vaccine’s effects.)   /vvp