THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) in Region 7 (Central Visayas) has heightened surveillance of thousands of children who have received the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine. DoH-7 Director Jaime S. Bernadas said health personnel are gathering the profiles of at least 159,766 children, which is almost half of the total number of eligible recipients during the first round of vaccination. “We have alerted all our partners which are the local government units (through their respective) rural health units and city health offices to intensify surveillance of our children immunized,” Mr. Bernadas told reporters Monday, Dec. 4. The DoH central office has suspended the dengue vaccination program following analysis that the vaccine Dengvaxia poses risk to those without prior infection but have received it. Mr. Bernadas said concerned health units have also been notified of the suspension, and distribution of the vaccine has been put on hold. The second round of dengue vaccination was supposed to start this month in Cebu province, the fourth pilot area next to the three identified highly endemic regions, namely: Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and the National Capital Region. — The Freeman

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