MANILA — Recipients of the Dengvaxia vaccine in the Metro Manila would soon get their dengue immunization card soon in their schools, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) in the National Capital Region (NCR) said on Wednesday.
During the “Mother Leaders/Mother Partners” forum in Quezon City, Roberto Belchez, head of Health Promotion and Media Relations Unit of DOH-NCR, said that the cards were already distributed to the local government units and are being readied for distribution.
“One of the instructions is that the distribution will coincide with the scheduled date that the student vaccinee will be getting his/her report card,” said Belchez.
He said that teachers would be in charge for the distribution of the said cards.
Belchez said that dengue ID cards contain information on symptoms of dengue that parents can read from time to time to check if any of those are present in their child.
“Each card has also a control number which matches the one listed in the masterlist for easier verification, and monitoring,” he said.
The ID card can be used in case the recipient will access health centers, rural health units and hospitals or if symptoms of dengue are observed on the child.
Based on updated masterlist, there are at least 100,221 schoolchildren in Metro Manila have been vaccinated under the school-based immunization program while a total of 234,986 who have been injected with Dengvaxia under the community-based dengue vaccination.
“The ID cards for those vaccinated through community-based will be distributed in the health centers,” he said.
Belchez, however, said that they cannot provide ID for those vaccinated in private clinics. “But we can still extend help in other ways.”