President Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte and two other granddaughters were among those who received the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.
Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go confirmed the news upon speaking with the parents of the presidential daughter and granddaughters.
“May nagtanong kanina kung na-inject raw ba si Kitty at ‘yung dalawang anak ni Paolo, kinonfirm naman po ng mga nanay nila na positive po na-inject po,” Go said.
Go, however, did not confirm if they received the required three shots of the vaccine.
The Department of Health stopped the immunization program to fight dengue after vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur admitted that the use of Dengvaxia can actually worsen the disease if a person vaccinated has never been exposed to dengue.
Data from DOH show that around 891,000 children — aged nine and above — from public schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Cebu have received vaccination after the health department launched the initiative in April 2016.
The President has ordered a team of Asian health experts to study and investigate the issue.
