Dengvaxia vaccination of Boholano children through private clinics remains a concern that calls for monitoring.

The Provincial Health Committee tackled this concern during a meeting on December 27 presided by Gov. Edgar Chatto.

According to health authorities in the province, monitoring should be continued on the children who had been vaccinated with dengvaxia through private clinics.

This came after the Sanofi, the manufacturer or dengvaxia vaccine, had recently admitted the risk factor in the vaccine.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) had also issued a report, stating that three children who have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia had already died.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot earlier assured that none of the P3.5-billion worth of dengvaxia vaccine purchased by the national government had arrived Bohol.

However, this was only on the part of government vaccination program.

It was found out later that some private pediatricians had actually administered dengvaxia vaccine on some children.

It is on this matter that the Provincial Health Committee wants a continued monitoring on dengvaxia-vaccinated children.

The Provincial Health Committee also discussed analysis of data on illnesses based on the record at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital.

The data analysis will also include patients and referrals.

The Provincial Health Committee also attends to the provincial health programs and projects such as the establishment of health stations in schools.

The provincial government also plans to establish a Tuberculosis (TB) Center in Bohol.

Meanwhile, the Senate is investigating the dengue vaccination program after the Sanofi confession.

Under the National Immunization Program (NIP), 733,000 public school students aged 9 and above in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon have been administered with the vaccine.

The mass immunization program was launched in April last year.

Government payment to Sanofi for the billions-worth of vaccines has been completed.

 The DOH had already incorporated dengue vaccination using Dengvaxia in the National Immunization Program (NIP).

Pilot areas for Dengvaxia vaccination include Regions 3, 4A and the NCR in the schedule implemented in April, May and June last year.

After the piloting, the vaccine had been made available in areas outside targeted Regions 3, 4A and the NCR.

In March last year, pediatricians in Bohol confirmed that they had ordered some vials of Dengvaxia.

No report as to the status of the order for dengvaxia vials came since then.

It was only recently after the VACC report and the Senate inquiry that Bohol pediatricians admitted having administered Dengvaxia vaccines to patients since it was only then that their statements were sought.