PAO forensics team performs autopsy on 14th person who died after allegedly receiving Dengvaxia

Forensic experts from the Public Attorney’s Office have performed an autopsy on the 14th person who died after allegedly receiving the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia—a teenage boy whose death certificate points to typhoid fever.

Records of the school in Muntinlupa do not show whether or not 13-year-old Mark Axl Enuña was given the controversial dengue vaccine, but his classmates witnessed he did, said his mother Analyn in a report by Maki Pulido on Unang Balita on Friday.

The boy died after a few days of experiencing fever. Typhoid was the official cause, but Analyn reportedly said dengue was the initial result of a laboratory test performed on her son.

Parents of an alleged dengvaxia vaccine victim waited outside the morgue while the PAO forensic team conducted an autopsy on their 13yr old son who died last tues night in Muntinlupa City. pic.twitter.com/z1qMe7iypL

— maki pulido (@makipulido) February 1, 2018

Dr. Erwin Erfe, chief of the PAO forensics department, said dengue may have mimicked typhoid symptoms in Mark Axl's case.

“Nagdugo ang utak consistent also with the other victims. May hemorrhages din sa heart wall at saka doon sa lungs, consistent with other victims," he said.

“We’re finding a strong link do’n sa vaccination dahil halos pare-pareho ng presentation sila,” he added.

The PAO will file civil, administrative, and criminal complaints against Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur, and personalities involved in the country’s dengue immunization program on Monday.

“Civil case muna for each death and then magfi-file din kami ng separate criminal case for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, and then separate pa ang administrative case sa PRC [Professional Regulation Commission],” said PAO chief Persida Acosta.

The PAO will demand at least P3.5 million pesos for each victim of Dengvaxia as part of the civil case to be filed, according to the report.

Controversy erupted in late 2017 after Sanofi revealed that Dengvaxia, said to be the world’s first anti-dengue vaccine, can aggravate the disease upon subsequent infection among those who have never acquired it prior to immunization.

The Department of Health said that at least 830,000 public school students have been inoculated with Dengvaxia in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu under the government's dengue vaccination program. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KG, GMA News