PAO appeals withdrawal of Dengvaxia cases vs Garin, 2 others
Dengvaxia vaccine. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines – The Public Attorney’s Office has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reconsider its January 10, 2025 resolution ordering the withdrawal of criminal information filed against former health secretary and incumbent Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette L. Garin and two other doctors tagged in the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy.
Garin and the two doctors were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide for the death of several school children inoculated with the Dengvaxia vaccine.
The complainants, represented by the Public Attorney’s Office, were only informed that the anti-dengue vaccine would be given for free.
“Clearly, the manner of implementing the mass dengue vaccination program also violated the right to informed consent of patients…From a purely ethical norm, informed consent evolved ito a general principle of law that a physician has a duty to disclose what a reasonably prudent physician in the medical community in the exercise of reasonable care would disclose to his patient as to whatever grave risks of injury might be incurred from the proposed course of treatment,” PAO said.
Also, there was no proper screening of Dengvaxia patients, meaning inquiring about the children’s conditions before receiving the vaccine despite studies of its adverse effects.
Article continues after this advertisement“Apparently, no such precaution was observed. There was not even a plan on how to counter-act the possible effects of the vaccine to the children given the same,” PAO added.
There are a total of 98 complainants in the case who are parents, guardians of the school children, whose untimely death were attributed to the adverse effect of Dengvaxia.
