Sen. Nancy Binay on Friday expressed alarm over the public health impact of the dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, administered to over 400,000 children.
Binay called on the Department of Health and vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur to launch a nationwide medical advisory and information drive to reach out to parents whose children have taken the vaccine.
“The latest medical report issued by Sanofi is deeply shocking and disturbing specially to any parent whose children have received the vaccine. Kaya dapat gawan natin ng paraan para mapaiabot agad sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang communication channels ang tungkol dito,” she noted.
According to Binay, the public — particularly the parents — need to know the circumstances surrounding the vaccine, what symptoms should be monitored, precautions, indications, contra-indications, side effects and possible adverse effects.
The senator asked the DOH to put in place monitoring and public health surveillance to avoid any medical disaster.
Sanofi Pasteur said that Dengvaxia may have indications to “those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection.”
“It is sad that the DOH ignored the warning of DOST about the issue of patient safety and research integrity of Dengvaxia. Safety should always be the paramount concern when it comes to any immunization program,” she noted.
Binay said that Sanofi should clarify and explain what it meant by “severe disease”.
“We don’t want the warning to the public come too little, too late. Obviously, there were shortfalls and gaps in the vaccine’s safety profile, and I believe Sanofi is morally and ethically obliged to inform the public what severe diseases came out in their clinical tests,” she pointed out.
The senator likewise urged the DOH to temporarily stop the immunization program and conduct an audit which regions or provinces have not completed, or completed, all three doses of the vaccine.
DOH confirmed that it has administered the dengue vaccine to about 400,000 school children in Central Luzon, NCR and Calabarzon. | Senate-PR
