PAO blames Dengvaxia anew in death of 71st kid

PAO chief  Persida Rueda Acosta. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) blamed anew the Dengvaxia vaccine as the cause of death of the 71st child, in a record released by its chief Atty. Persida Acosta on Thursday.

Acosta told Radyo Inquirer that the latest death was recorded in Metro Manila on July 19, just a few days after the 70th victim died this week.

“Common patterns of signs and symptoms pa rin po ito: sakit ng ulo, sakit ng katawan, nahihirapang huminga,” she said.

(It’s still the common patterns of signs and symptoms: headache, body ache, and difficulty in breathing.)

Acosta lamented the death of another child in Laguna who was given the vaccine, whom she said was the “only child” of his parents.

“Itong mga ito kahit anong gawin po ng mga doktor, lalo na kung talong talo ng immunity system nila, ay tuloy-tuloy na po sa pagcomatose hanggang sa mamatay,” she said.

(No matter what the doctors do to these children, especially when their immunity system is weak, their condition continues to fall into comatose until their death.)

She also said parents of victims have reported to have been given P50,000 financial aid by the Department of Health (DOH), but with a waiver that says the deaths of their children are not related to the vaccine.

She called on the DOH to declare a health emergency on the issue, saying that further deaths need to be prevented.

“Kinakalampag natin ang dapat kalampagin na sagipin po ang mga batang buhay,” she said.

(We knock on the door of those who are concerned to save the children who are still living.) /jpv

READ: Ex-President Aquino, 2 others face charges for Dengvaxia fiasco