House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles said that he would wholeheartedly support the calls of families of Dengvaxia victims for the adoption of the House version of the P1.161 billion supplemental budget for the more than 800,000 schoolchildren who have been given the anti-dengue vaccine in 2016.
This, as parents of Dengvaxia victims belonging to different groups expressed apprehensions with regard to the Senate version of the measure, specifically provisions centering on Dengvaxia-related assistance that were replaced with stipulations to accommodate only dengue cases.
According to the legislator from Davao, the concerns of the parents were understandable as the Senate amendments “technically reconfigured the essence of the bill from supplemental assistance for Dengvaxia victims na ngayon pinalitan nila to dengue patients––which I believe is redundant as medical assistance is already provided for dengue patients under Philhealth.”
“I have seen firsthand how worried these parents are about their children. As a parent, I understand how difficult this trial is for them.”
“Simply put, the supplemental budget was a result of this crisis brought about by the use of Dengvaxia, and as such, the recipients of these resources should be those who were vaccinated with this drug,” said Nograles.
Nograles said that in a meeting with the Samahan ng mga Magulang na ang Anak ay Biktima ng Dengvaxia (SMABD), the National Federation of Dengvaxia Victims Organization (NFDVO), the United Parents Against Dengvaxia (UPAD), and Aurora’s Parents Association of Dengvaxia Vaccinees, and the Save The Angels Philippines (STAP), many parents reported that their children are now suffering from various illnesses after they were given the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Jennifer Larga, the mother of one of the schoolchildren given Dengvaxia, said many of those who were given the controversial anti-dengue vaccine are now showing signs of health problems.
“Let’s make sure we pass a supplemental budget that will ensure that these parents need not be troubled.”
“Maraming mga pasyente na mga nabakunahan ngayon na iba-iba ang nararamdaman pero very common ay iisa, ang may sakit at may nararamdaman sila (many of the patients who were vaccinated suffer from different ailments, but what they have in common is that they are all sick),” lamented Larga.
“So sana bigyan ng tuon ito ng ating gobyerno, bigyan ng pansin. Maraming mga bata na lumalala na ang kanilang health cases (so we hope that these will get the attention of government because these health cases are getting worse),” added the mother.
Another mother, Myra Lanote, said she was hoping that the supplemental fund that would be passed would be exclusive for children who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia in 2016.
According to Lanote, “nung lumabas yung bagong approval na galing sa Senate, medyo hindi ako natuwa kasi parang lumalabas na hindi exclusive yung tulong na ibibigay nila sa Dengvaxia victims (when the Senate approved the bill, I was not happy because it appears the help they are extending is not exclusive to Dengavia victims).”
Lanote is worried that because of this “baka maging limitado din sa mga ospital yung magiging tulong sa kanila, sa tulong ng medical. So dun lang ako nababahala na baka hindi mabigyan ng parehong atensyong medical sila.”
Nograles pledged to air the concerns raised by parents of Dengvaxia victims in the bicameral meeting to resolve the two versions of the supplemental budget bill, and to work for a final version “that will really put the concerns of these parents to rest.”
“I have seen firsthand how worried these parents are about their children. As a parent, I understand how difficult this trial is for them; to fear for the health and the lives of their children, to be worried about how they will afford proper medical care,” said the solon.
“They have so much to worry about, wag na natin dagdagan ang problema nila, and let’s make sure we pass a supplemental budget that will ensure that these parents need not be troubled about the medical costs for the care of their children.”
