THE Department of Health (DOH)-Davao Region said it has no mandate yet on how to attend to children who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia should they acquire dengue and need hospitalization.
Doctor Annabelle Yumang, DOH-Davao assistant regional director, made the statement when asked whether the government will sponsor the medication and treatment of those Dengvaxia-vaccinated children if they show symptoms of severe dengue.
Yumang, who attended Connect at SM Lanang Premier, added that based from her experience with DOH's other immunization programs, government shoulders the patients’ hospitalization if health problems occur as a result of a program.
That's why they are closely monitoring who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
She also said the DOH-Davao will be sending letters to private institutions and private medical practitioners, requesting them to furnish the Health office the list of their patients who were given Dengvaxia vaccine.
She said this is necessary for them to be able to monitor and conduct surveillance on the affected children.
"As for the government, walang children na na-vaccinated with Dengvaxia, but we don't know sa private institutions since they have not reported to us or furnished the list of their vaccinated patients," she said.
As of Friday, December 8, the letters were ready to be dispatched to different medical societies, including the Davao Medical Society and the Philippine Pediatric Society-Davao Chapter.
DOH has not administered the vaccine to any child in Davao, which is not among the pilot areas of the vaccine.
Only the top six regions affected by dengue were mandated for Dengvaxia pilot-testing.