FIGHTING DENGVAXIA SCARE Amid a sharp increase in the number of measles cases, the DOH launched in Parañaque City an intensified vaccination program for children. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
After getting the signatures of 14 senators, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s report on the Dengvaxia mess can now be tackled at the plenary, Sen. Richard Gordon said on Friday.
Acknowledging that not everyone may agree with the contents of the report, Gordon said he is happy that it would finally be discussed it on the floor where it should be discussed.
“And we can move forward by ensuring that something will be done for the people who were vaccinated and also seeing to it that accountability will be exacted to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” Gordon, chairman of the committee, said in a statement.
He said that the Department of Health, as the sentinel of public health, “must not be used for political ends.”
In the draft committee report, the Blue Ribbon found President Benigno Aquino III, former Health Secretary Janette Garin, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Philippine Children’s Medical Center Director Julius Lecciones and other officials of the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration liable for violating several sections of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and other laws in connection with the procurement and distribution of the Dengvaxia vaccine.
The report also recommended to provide sufficient budget for monitoring – in particular sero-testing to determine who were previously seronegative – diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of all children immunized with Dengvaxia.
It proposed to authorize the allocation of a portion of the P1.2-billion refunded by Sanofi Pasteur for unused vaccines for such.
Aside from Gordon, the other senators who signed the Dengvaxia report were Senators JV Ejercito, Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Win Gatchalian, Grace Poe, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Cynthia Villar and Loren Legarda.
The investigation was conducted together with the Committees on Health and Demography and Finance./ac