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[av_heading heading=’ ‘Hold Dengvaxia makers, health execs to account’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Tuesday, December 5, 2017
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MANILA – Health officials involved in the government’s dengue immunization program and the manufacturer of the vaccine Dengvaxia must be held to account for “negligence,” stressed Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Hontiveros also urged the government to create a database identifying all the children who have been administered with Dengvaxia.
The database, according to Hontiveros, will “identify the 70,000 affected children and know where they are exactly located.”
This will enable the government to “keep track of their health, and prepare the needed resources and logistics that will allow for quick and appropriate medical responses, if needed,” she said.
The government started administering the vaccine to at least 700,000 schoolchildren aged at least 9 years old in National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon in March last year. Later the immunization campaign reached Cebu province.
Dengvaxia is the first vaccine in the world licensed for the prevention of dengue.
Manufactured by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine was licensed for use in the Philippines by the Food and Drug Administration in December 2015.
But Sanofi Pasteur recently issued an advisory warning against the vaccine.
While Dengvaxia provides “persistent protective benefit against dengue in those who had prior infection,” those who were vaccinated but never had dengue might suffer from a “severe” case if they get infected, it said.
Health officials said some 70,000 children are at risk of getting severe dengue.
“Our primary concern right now should be the health and welfare of all those children exposed to unnecessary risk as a result of the immunization program,” said Hontiveros, chairwoman of the Senate women and children committee.
Sanofi Pasteur and culpable health officials should be held accountable, said the vice chairwoman of the health and demography committee.
“While vaccination and immunization are protective and essential elements of preventive health care, implementing an immunization program that could do more harm than good to our children is the height of negligence that could border on the criminal,” she said.
NBI PROBE
Meanwhile, the Justice department ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the procurement and usage of the dengue vaccine.
Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II directed the NBI to conduct a case build-up over the “alleged danger to public health” arising from the vaccination drive of the Health department and Sanofi Pasteur.
“Tama ba ang pag-order kaagad ng ganito karaming vaccine na worth P3.5 billion? Na naturukan agad ang 733,000 children? Tama ba ito, kahit apat buwan pa lang nama-manufacture ito?” Aguirre told reporters.
“Nagkaroon ng parang warning iyong Sanofi Pasteur, iyong manufacturer, sa government officials kaya ang susunod na tanong ay: Nasunod ba? O naiparating ba ito sa karamihan ng nasa DOH? Kung itong warning ng Sanofi ay talagang naibigay at kung naibigay, ito ba ay talagang naipatupad ng ating DOH officials?” he said. (With a report from ABS-CBN News/PN)
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