Gov’t seeks WHO nod on use of Dengvaxia

The government will carefully consider the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations before deciding on using the Dengvaxia vaccine anew for its immunization campaign.

Malacañang on Friday stressed that the renewed use of the banned vaccine “must be done with utmost caution.”

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government remained open to any method that would decrease dengue cases in the country, including tapping Dengvaxia again.

“It must be stressed, however, that a possible revival of the use of this vaccine must be done with utmost caution by considering the opinion of the World Health Organization and other medical experts who opine, among others, that the same should be given only to those who already had prior dengue experience,” Panelo said.

He added: “We will also consider the protocol set by the WHO that for countries considering said vaccination as part of their dengue control program, a ‘prevaccination screening strategy’ is recommended.”

Calls to lift ban

A group of doctors and a lawmaker have urged the government to lift the ban on Dengvaxia and allow its limited use.

Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare, led by former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, sought to lift the ban on the vaccine and allow its limited private use.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, also a former health secretary, earlier pushed for the use of Dengvaxia once more in the government’s immunization program.

The vaccine was used during the Aquino administration’s P3.5-billion antidengue program, where it was used on more than 800,000 schoolchildren.

However, its manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur found out that the vaccine might be harmful to patients with no prior exposure to dengue. The vaccine is reportedly effective on those with previous exposure to dengue.

Scores of children allegedly died after receiving the vaccine, prompting the filing of homicide complaints against several health officials, as well as graft charges against Garin, former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and several others.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration revoked the vaccine’s certificate of product registration even as the Department of Health (DOH) said no death had been confirmed to be directly caused by the vaccine.

The DOH has recorded more than 130,000 dengue cases across the country this year, with 561 deaths reported so far.

The Palace pointed out that if Dengvaxia was proven effective for those who had contracted dengue in the past, “then its application to these individuals will surely cause the decline of the overall number of cases of dengue, which plagues the residents of this country.”