Sen. Richard J. Gordon has disclosed that some Department of Health officials are concealing important documents related to Sanofi Pasteur’s marketing and sales of the anti-dengue vaccine procured by the government.
The documents they discovered, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman said, would show how former Health Secretary Janette L. Garin forced the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines to issue a permit for the distribution of Dengvaxia even without acquiring the prequalification requirements from the World Health Organization.
Gordon said the committee has obtained documents related to the Dengvaxia vaccines “hidden” by some people at the DoH.
“Mayroon pang mga tao na nagtatago ng mga dokumento na nasilip namin, mga kawani ng DoH na hindi ni-report iyong kakulangan ng Sanofi,” Gordon said.
“It would show na ganun kalalim ang hawak ni Secertary Garin at that time na napapayag niya ang FDA na magbigay ng permit na hindi pa luto ang test, yung pagtapos ng Phase 3,” the senator said.
It turned out, he said, that Sanofi, the French manufacturer of Dengvaxia, which was administered to more than 800,000 school children, lacked sufficient papers attesting to the integrity and efficacy of the vaccine.
“I’ve been accused of monologuing but we didn’t stop our research. Malalim ang research, di kami natitinag na tumigil sa pag re-research,” he stressed.
Gordon did not identify the DoH officials but said he will release the documents at the next hearing on the issue.
He also said that he is not against the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption’s move to file cases against former President Benigno S. Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, and Garin for violating the election law through the anti-dengue vaccination program, this may not be an accurate case.
“I don’t agree necessarily with what they filed. Ang cause of action nila ay ginamit ang pera ng gobyerno pangkampanya. ‘Di pa naman natin napapatunayan ‘yon eh. Wala pa tayo roon eh,” he said.
But based on the paper trail, Gordon said his committee is looking into the culpability of the Aquino administration, particularly the key players in the Dengvaxia mess for homicide through reckless imprudence.
“It’s too early for PAO to say its Dengvaxia. I’m just being fair. Pero of this we know: Minadali,” Gordon pointed out. (Hannah L. Torregoza)