MANILA, Philippines — The government will shoulder all the medical expenses of schoolchildren who got sick after they were injected with the controversial anti-dengue vaccine manufactured by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced this on Friday during a press conference at the Dr. Manuel T. Fuentebella Memorial Hospital in Sagñay, Camarines Sur as President Rodrigo Duterte ordered public hospitals to open their doors to those who had received Dengvaxia shots.
“Inutusan…ng Presidente na lahat ng pampublikang ospital ay dapat magbigay ng serbisyo doon sa mga kabataan na naturukan ng Dengvaxia [The President ordered all public hospitals to provide services to children given Dengvaxia],” said Roque.
“Sasagutin na po ng gobyerno ‘yong halaga ng paggamot doon sa mga naging biktima ng Dengvaxia [The government will shoulder the bill for treating victims of Dengvaxia],” he added.
Also, Roque announced that Duterte was considering assistance from foreign pathologists because of concerns over the limited number of such experts in the Philippines, who could determine whether Dengvaxia was indeed linked to the deaths of 14 schoolchildren.
“Dahil sa kakulangan ng clinical pathologists dito sa Pilipinas, nagsalita na ang Presidente na kung kinakailangan, kukuha tayo ng mga dayuhang clinical pathologists para pag-aralan kung itong mga kabataang namamatay nga ay namatay dahil sa Dengvaxia vaccine,” he said.
