BY Roy C. Mabasa and Betheena Kae Unite
Malacañang has urged the public not to panic about the Dengvaxia dengue vaccine, saying its effect does not lead to death.
“The good news is people should not panic about the dengue vaccine. There is no danger with the dengue vaccine,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Citing studies made by Sanofi, the French manufacturer of the controversial vaccine, Roque said it indicates that for the nine out of 10 Filipinos who had contact with dengue, the vaccine is in fact “very effective in protecting the patient from another attack of dengue.”
Roque said that for the one out of 10 who has not had dengue, chances are after three years, that person may still be afflicted with dengue, which was classified as “severe dengue.”
He added that the worry now is on the term severe dengue, saying there was a “reclassification” made on what is mild, severe, and deadly dengue.
“And the severe dengue that is mentioned by Sanofi will involve symptoms that include two days of fever and hemophilia. ‘Yung pagma-marka ‘no sa skin. It is not the deadly type of dengue,” Roque said.
While Dengvaxia is the first-ever approved vaccine for dengue, scientists and researchers have recognized it was not perfect and did not protect equally against the four different types of the virus in clinical tests.
Latest analysis from six years of clinical data showed that Dengvaxia vaccine provides persistent protective benefit against dengue fever in those who had prior infection.
“Pero ang kapalit naman po nun ay proteksyon doon sa nine out of 10 na nagka dengue from acquiring what could be not just serious but possibly a deadly stage of dengue,” Roque said.
Over 700,000 Filipino children were vaccinated with a dose of Dengvaxia last year in line with the recommendation of the World Health Organization for mass vaccination in highly endemic countries.
Sanofi has allayed fears over the Dengvaxia vaccine, clarifying that severe dengue, which vaccinated people who have not been infected by dengue virus may experience, is not fatal.
The severe dengue stated in the new findings of Sanofi was found to be dengue hemorrhagic fever, Dr. Ng Se Peing, Sanofi Pasteur Global medical head, said.
“In individuals who have not been previously infected by dengue virus, there is an increase risk of hospitalization for dengue and severe dengue, predominantly Grade I or II Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever,” Ng said.
She added that the severe dengue observed in vaccinated individuals was not clinically different from that reported in unvaccinated people in the studies. “All study participants who got severe dengue, whether vaccinated or not, have fully recovered,” Ng said.
Dr. Joselito Sta. Ana, Sanofi Pasteur regional director, explained that severe dengue can be classified as two-day fever, fall in platelet count, nose bleeding, or hematoma. “Ang iniisip kasi natin na kapag severe ito na ‘yung dengue na nakamamatay, hindi,” Sta. Ana said.
This classification, according to Ng, is based on the 1997 guidelines about severe dengue.
Sanofi Pasteur denied that three persons have died from Dengvaxia.
“As far as we know, as far as we are made aware, there are no reported deaths that are related to dengue vaccination,” Dr. Ruby Dizon, medical director of Sanofi Pasteur, said.
“And this is assessed by an independent expert group. Monitoring is continuing to make sure that this is maintained,” Dizon added.
