By Charina Clarisse Echaluce and Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
The Department of Health has formed a task force to address concerns on the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
The task force is composed of top officials from the DoH Central Office in Manila and affected regions, the Food and Drug Administration, PhilHealth, and the National Children’s Hospital.
“This task force will conduct a thorough review of the dengue vaccination initiative which started in March 2016 and the new evidence on safety provided by Sanofi. This shall guide the Department of Health in responding to the safety concerns relevant to the use of this vaccine and how to proceed with the dengue program to ensure safeguards and prevent similar incidents in the future,” DoH Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
The DoH chief reiterated the agency’s commitment to heighten surveillance and monitoring activities on all 830,000 students vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
The DoH will hire 30 additional surveillance officers to be deployed immediately to its hospitals in the four regions where anti-dengue vaccination activities were conducted.
“We will be deploying them immediately for active surveillance and data collection in these hospitals. Surveillance will be done for five years. This is part of our commitment to the parents and children who were immunized with the anti-dengue vaccines,” Duque said.
Duque said the task force will have a legal team to look into the accountability of manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur which had earlier claimed that the vaccine was safe and effective for all individuals aged nine to 45-years-old.
However, the French company later revealed that Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms for vaccinated people who contracted the disease for the first time.
As a result, the DoH suspended the dengue vaccination program using the vaccine.
“We will demand the refund of the R3.5-billion paid for the Dengvaxia, and that Sanofi set up an indemnification fund to cover the hospitalization and medical treatment for all children who might have severe dengue,” Duque said.
Duque said that PhilHealth is ready to cover the expenses of any child who may be hospitalized for severe dengue. The PhilHealth dengue case rate can cover up to R16,000 which includes hospital and physician fees for severe dengue.
Duque urged individuals behind the R3.5-billion dengue vaccination program, among them President Benigno S. Aquino III and Health Secretary Janet Garin who were both in office when the vaccine was launched, to come forward and explain their side.
“It’s really up to them if they would like to clarify several issues on the matter because they were the ones who make the very vital decision to procure the vaccines,” Duque said.
“But it will be good for everyone. I believe very strongly it is going to be good for everyone for those responsible to come forward and to say his or her piece and to explain,” he added.
“Otherwise, there will be too many speculations ‘no and sometimes there are innuendos, very toxic speculations or innuendos.”
