DOH: More studies needed to determine Sanofi liability in Dengvaxia mess

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III attends the hearing on the Dengvaxia controversy at the House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. (Photo by NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

Further studies should be conducted before the Department of Health (DOH) could conclude that French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur could be held liable in the P3.5 billion dengue immunization program controversy.

On Monday, during the fourth hearing of the House of Representatives on the Dengvaxia mess, Rep. Estrellita Suansing asked DOH officials if Sanofi could be held criminally liable.

DOH Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo responded, saying: “What we’re doing now is we want to complete investigation first. So this can really give more solid and definitive findings, before we file cases.”

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gave a similar answer: “These findings by the UP-PGH are preliminary. If you are to peruse the entire document, it will say in a large part that further tests are required.”

Duque was referring to the results of a clinical review conducted by the Dengue Investigative Task Force from the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).

According to the team, out of the 14 children who had been vaccinated with Dengavaxi and had died, only three children contracted the dengue virus.

READ: DOH sees dengue vaccine failure in 2 deaths

Sanofi Asia-Pacific head Thomas Triomphe, meanwhile, maintained: “There’s no evidence directly linking Dengvaxia to any deaths.”

In April 2016, the DOH bought vaccines intended for public schoolchildren in areas with a high incidence of dengue.

But Duque halted the vaccination drive in November 2017 after Sanofi bared that Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms of the disease for people who had not previously been infected by the virus. /atm