AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Health (DOH) has revealed that the implementation of the National School Deworming Month has been affected by the Dengvaxia-scare.
This, came about as some children from Luzon were reported to have died brought about by the bad side effects of the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Dr. Joshua Brillates, DOH assistant regional director, said that at least 60 percent of the parents did not allow their children to be deworm due to the Dengvaxia-scare.
Brillantes said this 60 percent translates to more or less 400,000 public school children who were not dewormed in the entire region during the National School Deworming Month that ended January 31.
The target goal of the DOH is to deworm 848,928 school children, but only 389,089 children were dewormed by the agency in the entire region.
Each of the school children is given 400 milligrams Albendazole chewable tablet on full stomach and under the close supervision of the school nurses and health workers.
The objective of the National School Deworming Month is to decrease soil transmitted helminthiasis, which causes weakness, decrease appetite, decreased intelligence quotient (IQ) and anemia among school children.
Brillantes expressed apprehension that the children who were not dewormed by become carriers of parasites, which affects the mental and nutritional development. (SunStar Philippines)