By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) yesterday clarified neither Negros Occidental nor Bacolod City are part of the Department of Health (DOH) dengue vaccination program, which has recently come under fire after pharmaceutical manufacturer Sanofi disclosed their vaccine, dengvaxia, may lead to more severe symptoms.

CHO Environmental Sanitation Division head, Dr. Grace Tan, said during a press conference, dengvaxia was only distributed to “highly-endemic areas,” or areas with the highest number of dengue cases throughout the country, which include Regions 3, 4-A, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

She added, the vaccine, which is part of a pilot program, has since been halted as an investigation proceeds.

Meanwhile, Tan said, as of November 25 of this year, the CHO has recorded 1,714 dengue cases; a lower number compared to the 2,056 recorded in the same period last year.

“There has been a 16 to 17 percent decrease in the number of dengue cases,” Tan said.

She also noted, records show the number of deaths is also lower, with 13 recorded this year as compared to 16 last year.

The latest fatality involved a 22-year-old individual, who died on November 23; however, the case is still being reviewed as the patient may not have succumbed to dengue but instead to leptospirosis, a type of bacterial disease.

Tan advised the public to seek immediate medical attention as soon as exhibiting symptoms of dengue, which include high fever and diarrhea, and to observe proper hygiene and sanitation in their own local community./DGB, WDJ