Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta took a swipe at “trolls” blaming her for the polio outbreak recently declared by the Department of Health.
READ: PH polio-free no longer; virus reemerges; DOH warning out
“Trolls are out using DOH alleged outbreaks! Chief Acosta and PAO employees had been vaccinated with proven vaccines since childhood,” Acosta’s statement in her official Facebook account said.
“Please don’t use measles, dengue, polio, etc as a defense strategy to demolish and bully the Dengvaxia victims’ attorney and doctors! Don’t use PAO as an excuse. Blame the under-distribution of vaccines per Commission on Audit repot for 2014-2018,” she said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier declared an “epidemic” after a child was found positive for the polio virus in Lanao del Sur. A second case has since been confirmed.
READ: Mistrust, fear in government immunization led to return of polio, other diseases
PAO has been representing relatives of children whose deaths have been linked to the government’s Dengvaxia inoculation program, and has filed multiple counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against former Health secretary Janette Garin, Duque, other former and incumbent health officials and executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and its distributor Zuellig Pharma Corp.
DOH said the fear of vaccination as a result of the Dengvaxia scare was behind the resurgence of polio.
But citing a COA report, PAO said polio vaccine under-distribution was 98 percent in 2014, 63 percent in 2015, 57 percent in 2016, and 92 percent in 2017.
“Comedians are out to blame PAO and its chief. They don’t bother to see the real cause of the global outbreak and DOH COA report!” it said.
Acosta said the “indiscriminate” inoculation of Dengvaxia vaccine “without blood test and screening is the only issue.”
