Illnesses such as dengue, measles, and polio now gradually eat away the health of a huge number of Filipinos as if it were a country invasion; and if one realizes, these diseases actually have available vaccines to prevent them, the only problem is that people has somehow gained an unnecessary fear and go against what could save the country from further epidemics.

 

Back in early 2017, Dengvaxia, a vaccine for Dengue produced by Sanofi Pasteur, earned its somehow infamous reputation after taking more than hundreds of lives, leaving families of the deceased victims traumatized and others afraid of having the said vaccine injected into their veins. Although there had been no reports of deaths and such in Lucena Cuty, as if a chain reaction, people then began to turn their backs on other vaccines with the same irrational fear.

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In reality, vaccines continue to be examined by experts to be safer and more effective every now and then to fulfill its primary goal to the people, giving them early interventions and rendering them more immune to certain diseases. The only factor that majorly affects how vaccines reach the public is the misinformation given by a number of people, having some believe that vaccines have a higher level of threat than of prevention from sicknesses.

 

Only after months of Dengvaxia’s release did the Department of Health (DOH) gave the statement that Dengvaxia is more of a treatment to those who already had dengue than a prevention to those who are completely fine and healthy. Because of this important information given out to the public after the vaccine had been injected to several children, people have misunderstood that the said vaccine is pure danger to their children.

 

And now that this vaccine had been officially removed from the county a couple month back, those who seek it must travel overseas just to get a shot for Dengue prevention. With the same perspective to the other vaccines, disease cases in the country now increase in a huge rate.

 

Comparing the cases of 2018 and 2019, the rate of individuals who acquire this disease has risen to 60%. Fifteen thousand people (mostly consisting of 5-9 year olds) are said to add up to the previous number of people infected with dengue with more people expected to add up to the percentage. In Quezon National High School (QNHS) alone, from estimated 10-16 students, the number of students who enter the clinic showing symptoms of dengue has risen to 21 and according to the school nurse, the number keeps on gradually getting bigger.

 

Although representatives of DOH stated that the government cutting their connection with the said vaccine has no correlation with the sudden uproar in Dengue cases, there is still no harm in welcoming back what can ease this chaotic state of the country. But now that its description is further clarified, there is allegedly a high chance that Dengvaxia may actually be brought back to do its job.

 

Fear may mean that we are skeptical of something solely for our safety, but too much to the point that it becomes irrational may just result to putting our health in deeper danger. Whether one sees it or not, the country badly needs a solution, one that is actually just in front of us but is just blocked by people’s misinformed perspective.

 

The government may just be one step to welcoming back Dengvaxia in the country, but all efforts will be worthless if people continue to go against vaccines just because of that irrational fear. All that is asked is to not get carried away by just any information and to be open-minded at all times.