Gordon: ‘Aquino should apologize for Dengvaxia mess’

Sen. Richard Gordon INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Sen. Richard Gordon said on Sunday that former President Benigno Aquino III should apologize for implementing the controversial immunization program for dengue after the vaccine was found to be harmful to those not infected with dengue prior to their vaccination.

In a radio interview, Gordon did not want to disclose the recommendations that his Senate blue ribbon committee would make in the case of the former President, whose administration started the immunization program in 2016 and which the Duterte administration continued until it was suspended last year.

‘Time to own up’

All Gordon could say was that he would be “very frank” and “hard-hitting” on his recommendations.

“Because it’s time to be accountable, to own up,” the committee chair said.

More than 800,000 people, mostly children were given the vaccine since 2016 but recent findings showed that Dengvaxia could cause serious dengue for those inoculated with it but had no prior infection.

Asked whether Mr. Aquino should apologize for the dengue immunization program, Gordon replied in affirmative.

“Yes, yes, at the very least [Aquino] should apologize,” he said, noting that former US President Jimmy Carter had apologized to Americans and owned up to the Iran hostage controversy where many US soldiers were killed.

He said an apology from Mr. Aquino though would not absolve him from any liability. “It would not exculpate him,” he said.

‘Unethical’

Gordon said that “at the very least,” it was “unethical” for Mr. Aquino to have met with the makers of the dengue vaccine, the French pharmaceutical giant, Sanofi Pasteur. He said the former President met with Sanofi officials twice in 2015.

He reiterated his observation of the undue haste in which Dengvaxia got approval from the Food and Drug Administration as well as the release of P3.5 billion for the purchase of the vaccine.