Following the hospitalization of 364 children in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday due to government-led deworming program, officials explained that high concentration of worms and hypersensitivity to deworming tablets may have caused the emergency.
“Safe naman po ang lahat ng mga bata. Ang nagre-react lang po ‘yung may maraming volume daw ng bulate sa katawan or ‘yung iba may hypersensitivity,” said Roberto Pinsoy, spokesman for the local government of Zamboanga del Norte
According to Pinsoy, most of the children rushed to hospitals due to the deworming program only had mild reactions to the deworming tablets adding only a few remained confined as of Thursday morning.
“Out of the three hundred plus, 70 na lang [ang naka-confine], nakauwi na rin yung iba… Adverse reaction, pero considered po ito na mild. Abdominal pain, may konting diziness ‘yung iba. However, naagapan naman lahat,” he said.
Health officials had earlier denied that the deworming tablets were expired adding the symptoms experienced by the recipients were typical side-effects of the tablets.
Health Secretary Janette Garin has also appealed to the public to stop circulating the misleading photographs and text messages regarding the supposedly expired tablets.
H/T: GMA News
