THE Department of Health (DOH), during the budget deliberation for the victims of Dengvaxia fiasco, used the privacy issue in refusing the public demand to release the master list of children who were given a dose of Dengvaxia during the 2016-2017 vaccination period.
The DOH should consider that many children were vaccinated without the consent of their parents, thus it is important to release the master list for the people to effectively monitor their children. The government must not use the privacy issue as it will hinder the people in protecting their children amidst this public health disaster.
As of now, 87 children who were given at least a dose of Dengavaxia vaccine already died. There is still no data on how many children have experienced health problems after receiving the vaccine.
The Dengvaxia budget deliberation exposes the rotting public health situation in the Philippines, it is enraging that it costs the lives of 87 children and put the lives of about 900,000 children in danger for the government to tackle these issues.
With or without Dengvaxia, public health care must be prioritized by the state. Aside from ensuring transparency, the health agency should also focus on addressing the concerns of parents regarding the services being provided by hospitals for Dengvaxia recipients.
One of the parents who were able to share the horrific experience of two of her children after Dengvaxia vaccination said that public hospitals lack in facilities to address their needs.
The same parent said that nobody is attending the Dengvaxia hotline 7111-001 when she tried to ask for assistance while her son was in the hospital for complications believed to be caused by the Dengvaxia vaccine. She said that she tried to call the hotline for two weeks.
The coalition of parents of children who were victims of Dengvaxia also asked the Department of Health to immediately release Dengvaxia cards because many children already needs hospitalization assistance.
We commend the initiative of parents in demanding assistance and justice for their children. Only if the Duterte administration prioritized the welfare of victims instead of politicizing the issue, these parents need not to endure the agony of seeking assistance for their children.
This experience gives us a bitter lesson about the effects of corruption and neoliberal policies in the health sector. We urge the public to remain vigilant and make loud the call for accountability from the government as well as in demanding that the health department effectively provides free and appropriate health care for the victims of Dengvaxia vaccines.--Eule Rico Bonganay, Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns
Stop using the SK
Politicians should stop trying to influence the thinking of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons on who they will choose as head of their federations. Allow them to make the decision on their own.--Juliet Reyes, Cebu City