DOH official sinabon ng kongresista

NAKATIKIM ng batikos ang mga opisyal ng Department of Health (DOH) sa dating kawani nito dahil sa maling pahayag na walang epek­tibong bakuna laban sa meningitis sa Filipinas.

Ayon kay Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, kailangan pagsabihan ni Secretary Francisco Duque ang mga tauhan niya lalo si Centers for Health Develop­ment (CHD) Director Eduardo Janairo na nagsabing hindi gina­gamit ang meningococcal vaccine dahil wala pang pruweba na epektibo ito.

Ani Garin, siya ay doktor na nag-aral ng advanced vaccinology, dapat disiplinahin ni Duque ang mga tauhan niya.

Aniya, ang America nagbigay ng lisensiya para gamitin ang dala­wang klase ng bakuna laban sa meningitis, ito ang: meningococcal vac­cines – i.) Meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MenACWY); at, ii.) Serogroup B meningo­coccal vaccines (MenB).

Ayonsa  mamba­ba­tas, ang dalawa ay naka­tulong na sa kabataan at mga bata para makaiwas sa sakit.

Ang Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sa America ay nagpahayag na nakakamatay ang meningococcal disease.

“I am deeply con­cerned that these isolated cases might erupt into a widespread panic due to complete disregard to the truth: that we have a vaccine for meningococ­cemia proven to combat the disease,” ani Garin.

“I call on Sec. Duque to discipline his people and hold them account­able for spreading dis­information. Declarations like that of Dr. Janairo’s can be misconstrued as a policy statement whether he was acting as a representative of DOH or not. Reckless utterances like this is detrimental to public health,” ani Garin.

Pangatlong beses nang nanawagan si Garin sa DOH kaugnay sa mga programa ni Janairo na wala sa lugar.

“The first was about the useless dengue kits (loot bag with goodies) during dengue outbreak and second was the hiring of an event organizer posing as an expert panel in dengue only to find out that Vireoload Works was in the main business of providing cellphone load,” ayon kay Garin.

(GERRY BALDO)