Deaths of 3 vaccinated minors due to other diseases — DOH

Facade of the DOH main office in Manila. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The deaths of three minors who were vaccinated against COVID-19 were because of other diseases and not because of the vaccine, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday, citing initial reports.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said initial reports showed the three minors succumbed to non-COVID-19 related pneumonia, dengue, and tuberculosis. She said the causality assessment on the deaths is still being conducted.

“Kinakalungkot po natin at nakikiramay po tayo sa pamilya na nagkaroon ng pagkakamatay. Pero lagi po nating tandaan na hindi lamang po ang bakuna ang maaaring maging cause ng sinasabing pagkamatay pagkatapos niya mabakunahan,” she said in an online media briefing.

(We are saddened and we offer our condolences to the families left by the children. But let us remember that it is not just the vaccines that could have caused the death.)

“Base po sa mga initial reports natin, itong tatlong katao na nagkaroon ng bad outcome or namatay after receiving their vaccines died of other diseases. One died because of a non-COVID-19 pneumonia, another died because of dengue and another died because of tuberculosis,” she said.

(Based on our initial reports, these three children who died after receiving their vaccines died of other diseases. One died because of non-COVID-19 pneumonia, one died because of dengue, and another died because of tuberculosis.)

Based on the report of the Food and Drug Administration on suspected adverse events following immunization, “reports of fatal events does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the events.”

“Underlying conditions or pre-existing medical conditions causing fatal events are usually coincidental on the use of the vaccine. It is expected that reports of fatal events will rise as the vaccination program covers more people including those with an undiagnosed illness, underlying comorbidities, and pre-existing medical conditions,” the FDA said.

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