BACOLOD City – The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education (DepEd) want to deworm more students in this capital city this year.
The two agencies together implement the school-based deworming program of the government.
DepEd-Bacolod head Dr. Ma. Herna Belle Montinola said the number of students who availed themselves of the program dropped last year.
Out of the 105,374 elementary and high school enrollees in 2017, only 99,450 were dewormed, said DOH Region 6 medical coordinator Dr. Ma. Jocelyn Te.
This was lower compared to that in 2016 when almost all, or 99 percent of the enrollees, had themselves dewormed.
The drop was attributed to the Dengvaxia controversy, according to Montinola.
Dengvaxia, an anti-dengue vaccine, was used in DOH’s vaccination program in 2016.
Late last year, it was found that Dengvaxia may cause severe dengue to children administered with it but did not have previous dengue infection.
The issue sparked fear among parents, prompting them not to subject their children to vaccination, and even to the deworming program.
Montinola said she already talked to school principals and they agreed to make sure that all students in Bacolod will be dewormed this year.
She added that prior to enrolling their children, parents agreed to sign a consent form for the school-based deworming.
Renilyn Reyes, head of the Family Health and Nutrition Cluster of DOH Region 6, assured parents that they “have nothing to fear” because the deworming vaccines are safe.
They have been used for “several years already,” Reyes stressed./PN
