MANILA – A congressman urged Senate to pass the proposed supplemental budget that will be used to aid those who have been inoculated with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
A study by the New England Journal of Medicine affirmed Dengvaxia’s ill effect on children who have not had dengue.
“The published findings confirmed Sanofi’s belated admission of the pitfalls of Dengvaxia,” said Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairman of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee.
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur is the manufacturer of Dengvaxia.
Nograles said the study upheld the recommendation by the World Health Organization that the vaccine should not be administered to children without testing for prior dengue infection.
“This study should prompt the swift approval of the supplemental budget,” he said, referring to the proposed P1.16-billion additional budget.
The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading its version of the proposed supplemental budget before Congress’ sine die adjournment in late May.
The Senate failed to do so due to lack of quorum.
“I have no doubt that the Senate would ultimately do what’s right and make sure that the money we set aside will end up benefitting the Dengvaxia victims. It is too important to ignore,” said Nograles.
In November 2017 Sanofi admitted that Dengvaxia poses risk to individuals not previously infected by the dengue virus.
The government suspended its mass public dengue vaccination program the following month.
At the time nearly 900,000 Filipino school children have already been inoculated./PN
