By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
The Public Attorneys Office on Thursday filed charges against former Health Secretary Janette Garin over what it said were deaths linked to the controversial vaccine Dengvaxia.
PAO said in a Powerpoint presentation that the charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and for violation of the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 against 34 former and present Department of Health officials; Sanofi Pasteur, the Dengvaxia manufacturer; Zuellig Pharma, the distributor; and some officials of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine were for the presence of a “death pattern” in 41 vaccine recipients.
PAO said the “pattern” was found by three groups of doctors that comprised the PAO forensic team–the clinical team was composed of an internist specialist and two infectious disease specialists; the forensic team, three medico-legal officers; and the pathologist team two consultant pathologists.
PAO said the majority of children who had no history of dengue infection (except for two who had prior clinical diagnosis of dengue fever) and who received one, two or three doses of Dengvaxia “became sick” after vaccination, or experienced fever, rash, epistaxis, headache, stomachache, body weakness, and slurring of speech.
The recipients then died “as early as seven days and up to several (1-21) months after vaccination of the last dose of Dengvaxia,” PAO said.
“Forensic examination of the body showed enlargement of organs and extensive bleeding in various organs,” it said.
According to PAO Chief Persida Acosta, the deaths are “not just mere coincidental.”
“The deaths are unusual,” Acosta said.
Over 800,000 were vaccinated with Dengvaxia under the program that was started during the term of then-President Benigno Aquino III.
Last year, Sanofi Pasteur said that those who were administered the vaccine but who have not had dengue beforehand could contract severe dengue.