MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – No less than President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter and one grandchild were among those Filipino children who received shots of the now controversial Dengvaxia vaccine, Rappler learned.
Special Assistant to the President Bong Go told this to Rappler on Tuesday, May 22, the day a House committee approved the P1.16-billion medical support fund for Dengvaxia vaccine recipients.
Go said that Veronica "Kitty" Duterte, the President's youngest daughter, and Sabina Duterte, the President's granddaughter, received the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Go initially mentioned presidential grandson Uno Duterte as having received the vaccine as well, but clarified on Wednesday, May 23, that this was not the case.
This was also confirmed by Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta.
Kitty is Duterte's teenage daughter with partner Honeylet Avanceña. Sabina and Uno are children of former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte with his second wife, January Navares Duterte.
Go and Acosta, however, could not give details on when the children were given the shots.
Dengvaxia and its manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, as well as officials of the Aquino administration have been the subject of congressional investigations. This was after Sanofi announced an update in late 2017, acknowledging that the vaccine exposed recipients to more severe dengue if they got Dengvaxia without having developed the infection before. – Rappler.com
