DOH forms task force to assist those affected by anti-dengue vaccine

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Department of Health (DOH) has formed a task force to attend to the concerns of those who received the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia after it was found out that the drug could lead to severe infections.

“The Department of Health (DOH) has created a task force for the management of concerns related to the school-based immunization initiative using the tetravalent dengue vaccine. This is part of the agency’s commitment to closely monitor and attend to the health of those immunized with the vaccine,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a Palace briefing.

Duque said the task force was composed of top management officials of the DOH Central Office, officials of the affected regions and its attached agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, PhilHealth, and the National Children’s Hospital.

He said the task force would “conduct a thorough review of the dengue vaccination initiative which started in March 2016 and the new evidence on safety provided by Sanofi.”

READ: Palace: We won’t take Dengvaxia issue sitting down

“This shall guide the Department of Health in responding to the safety concerns relevant to the use of this vaccine and how to proceed with the dengue program to ensure safeguards and prevent similar incidents in the future,” he said.

The DOH, he said, remained committed to heighten surveillance and monitoring activities on all 830,000 students vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

He said the DOH would be hiring 30 additional surveillance officers to be deployed immediately to its hospitals in the four regions where these anti-dengue vaccination activities were conducted.

“We will be deploying them immediately for active surveillance and data collection in these hospitals. Surveillance will be done for five years. This is part of our commitment to the parents and children who were immunized with the anti-dengue vaccines,” he said.

“The health department is currently updating the master list of children given Dengvaxia in coordination with DOH field offices and the Department of Education,’ he added.

Duque on Thursday said the government intends to sue Sanofi after authorities suspended the company’s Dengvaxia vaccine.

READ: Gov’t to sue maker of dengue vaccine

He said the Task Force on Dengvaxia would have a legal team to look into the accountability of Sanofi Pasteur, the company which marketed Dengvaxia with an initial claim that the vaccine was safe and effective for all individuals aged nine to 45 years old.

“We will demand the refund of the P3.5 billion paid for the Dengvaxia, and that Sanofi set up an indemnification fund to cover the hospitalization and medical treatment for all children who might have severe dengue,” Duque added.

The health secretary also announced that PhilHealth was ready to cover the expenses of any child who may be hospitalized for severe dengue.

He said PhilHealth’s dengue case rate can cover up to P16,000 for severe dengue which includes hospital and physician fees.

“We will continue to be vigilant in monitoring our children for any adverse event following immunization, and will strengthen the readiness of our public hospitals in attending to any severe dengue cases that may occur,” he said. /jpv