Another recipient of the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia died, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said on Thursday, Nov. 26.
PAO forensics team chief Dr. Erwin Erfe identified the teen-aged victim as JC Albert Legaspi passed away while undergoing treatment at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
“Kahapon po siya ay namatay. Humingi po ng tulong ang mga magulang, mga kaanak sa Public Attorney’s Office at sa PAO forensics team upang ma-examine po ang labi ng biktima (He died yesterday. His parents and relatives asked for help from the PAO and its forensics team in examining the remains),” Erfe said.
The doctor noted that Legaspi previously suffered from dengue and got vaccinated with Dnegvaxia three times on June 2016, February, 2017 and September 2017.
Following the autopsy his team conducted on Thursday, Erfe revealed that Legaspi had multi-organ enlargements and bleeding.
“Consistent po sa findings namin with the other victims na nakita na po namin since we conducted forensics examinations nung December 2017 (It is consistent with the other victims we autopsied since December 2017),” he said.
Erfe reminded that Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur itself issued warnings that the vaccine has four adverse side effects, namely, severe dengue, anaphylactic reaction, viscerotropism and neurotropism.
He noted that the autopsy of Legaspi showed there were enlargement of the liver, spleen, heart, kidneys and pancreas.
Erfe added there was also extensive bleeding of his heart, kidneys, gastro-intestinal tract, lungs and brain.
Meanwhile, the forensics expert assured that the PAO will file complaints against those who should be held responsible for the latest death.
“Malinaw na malinaw yung findings ng PAO forensic team (The findings of the forensics team are very clear),” he pointed out.
Pursuant to Department Order No. 792 issued on December 2017 by then Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II, the PAO has been accepting the requests of the families of Dengvaxia victims to assist them in the prosecution of those who should be held responsible for those who suffered and died due to the vaccine.