Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons

     Did you know that there is no known cure for dengue fever? I was shocked when I heard this from the event speaker weeks ago during the launch of Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine availability in select Watsons stores. So what really happens inside the hospital if a patient's laboratory result on dengue test is positive?

     According to Dr. Rontgene Solante, patients who have dengue fever will only receive fever and hydration management in the hospital. After all these years, I thought there's a cure for dengue like antibiotics or a special kind of medicine. I fear mosquito bites because of dengue that's why I always follow preventive measures at home. Since I always believe that prevention is better than cure, I'll look on the brighter side despite having second thoughts of injecting the deadly virus inside my body. More information on dengue fever and Dengvaxia after the jump.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons

     The dengue vaccination was launched in the country by the Department of Health (DOH) together with the Department of Education (DepEd), and later on was made available in medical clinics last year. Now, Watsons is the first retailer to offer it in the Philippine market. Watsons announced the availability of dengue vaccination (Dengvaxia) in select Watsons stores nationwide starting April 30.

Here are the important things I lifted from Department of Health's website on Dengue Vaccine:

• Dengue vaccine is used to help protect a child against dengue caused by dengue virus serotypes 1,2,3, and 4. 
• It is administered via subcutaneous injection in the upper arm (deltoid).
• Just like any other vaccine, the dengue vaccine may not protect all the persons who have been vaccinated and may not provide 100% protection to vaccinees. 
• Dengue vaccination is not a substitute for protection against mosquito bites, and vaccinees are still encouraged to take appropriate precautions to prevent mosquito bites.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons

     I'm not sure if there's one in the family who 'really' had dengue fever before. I was admitted in the hospital several times when I was in elementary and the diagnosis was always dengue which I doubted. They say that some symptoms of dengue fever may yield similarities in other infectious disease that's why it is very important to do lab tests that will give definite results solely to dengue fever.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons

     The first vaccine against dengue, Dengvaxia, was created by leading multinational pharmaceutical company and an expert in the development of vaccinations, Sanofi Pasteur. The vaccine took more than twenty years to develop and has been thoroughly tested, based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Studies of the vaccine included more than 41,000 people and were carried out in 15 countries including the Philippines. The results were fully reviewed by a committee of independent experts and has also been recommended by WHO.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons

“As part of our commitment to improve the lives and health of Filipinos by making health care more accessible to them, we decided to offer dengue vaccination in our select stores nationwide. Dengue is a recurring epidemic in the country, that’s why we recognize the importance of protecting Filipinos against this deadly disease through the vaccination”, says Watsons Trading Health Director, Mr. Danilo Chiong.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons
Danilo Chiong Director for Watsons Trading Health

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Campaign

• Here in our country, DOH together with DepEd launched the much-awaited administration of the dengue vaccine through school-based immunization approach. This aims to vaccinate about one million Grade 4 pupils aged 9 years old and above enrolled in public schools in several regions of the country.1
• As of February 2017, the vaccine has been approved in 14 countries where dengue is endemic including Singapore, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines. 
• The dengue vaccine has also gotten the endorsement of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) and Philippine College of Physicians (PCP). 
• According to a study by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health, the vaccine is expected to reduce dengue cases in the country by over 24 percent in a span of five years. 2
• There are more than 200,000 reported dengue cases in the country in 2016 with around 1000 reported cases leading to death. 3
• Besides the health risks, dengue also has an impact on public health costing billions of pesos of tax payers money with treatment costing tens of thousands in pesos per patient.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Now Available in Watsons
L-R: Danilo Chiong Director for Watsons Trading Health and Dr. Rontgene Solante President of PSMID giving us more information on Dengue Fever and Dengvaxia

Who can get the vaccine?

     Individuals 9-45 years old living in endemic areas for prevention of dengue illness caused by dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Doses:

• Dose 1- 1st month
• Dose 2- 6th month
• Dose 3- 12th month

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Price:

     P4000 per dose or P12,000 for all 3 doses, which is a reasonable price given the high incidence of dengue and high cost of treatment in the Philippines.

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine Schedule at Watsons:

First round:

• April 30, 2017 (1st dose) 
• October 29, 2017 (2nd dose) 
• April 29, 2018 (3rd dose)

Second round:

• May 14, 2017 (1st dose)
• November 12, 2017 (2nd dose)
• May 13, 2018 (3rd dose) 

Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine will be available in 100 Watsons Stores Nationwide

For more information on Dengvaxia Dengue Vaccine

visit Watsons website http://www.watsons.com.ph/webph/Home.do

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Good Times!~

1 Ph Succesfully Launched The First Dengue Vaccines In Public Schools http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/5716

2 World’s first dengue vaccine now available in PH http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/02/11/dengue-vaccine-Dengvaxia-Philippines.html

3 WHO, 2016 Dengue Fact Sheet: DOH Epidemiological Bureau Morbidity Week 52 http://www.doh.gov.ph/statistics