By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press briefing in Camarines Sur, revealed that Duterte issued the order during his meeting with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Public Attorney's Office (PAO) and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) Thursday night.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The President assured that the cost of the medical service to be provided to the child vaccinees will be shouldered by the government, Roque said.
"The President gave the order that all public hospitals should give medical assistance to the children who received the vaccine," Roque said in the vernacular, Friday afternoon.
Roque also said that the President has expressed openness to tap foreign clinical pathologists to examine suspected Dengvaxia-caused deaths, if needed, following calls to order the PAO to stop the autopsies on Dengvaxia child vaccinees.
"Because of the lack of clinical pathologists here in the Philippines, the President said that, if necessary, we will get foreign clinical pathologists to determine if the kids who have died really died due to Dengvaxia," Roque said.
On Wednesday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II expressed that a foreign pathologist may be needed to examine the bodies of the children suspected to have died due to the vaccine.
Roque also reiterated that not all vaccines are harmful and that parents should not risk their children not getting vaccinated for other diseases.
"It will be more dangerous if we stop taking the vaccines against diseases that we know could be fatal in the long run," he added.
"We should remain calm and have our children vaccinated against diseases which we know already have existing vaccines available and in use for a very long time. This is for the health of our children," he continued.
President Duterte earlier expressed that he believes the previous administration implemented the controversial dengue immunization program on good faith.
Duterte said that he would have done the same thing, provided that there is a vaccine available that might help the Filipino fight the deadly disease.
In an advisory dated November 19, 2017, French pharmaceutical Sanofi Pasteur, maker of Dengvaxia vaccine, revealed that their product could worsen the effects of dengue on those who have not been exposed to the virus.