DOH may ask Sanofi to refund P3.5B given for purchase of Dengvaxia dengue vaccine

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday said the Department of Health is considering asking Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia, to refund the P3.5 billion the government paid for the vaccine used in its vaccination program.

"Kung hindi naman (itutuloy ang program), susulatan natin ang Sanofi dahil sa pangyayaring ito, nagkaroon ng kontrobersiya at matinding mga pagdududa eh baka dapat buong P3 billion ibalik nila at kunin nila kung ano man 'yung natirang bakuna," Duque said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

He said P1.4 billion worth of vaccines are currently stored at the cold storage facility of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Duque, however, clarified that this will only be resorted to after the DOH has examined thoroughly the data and documents regarding the matter.

"Pero ito ay hindi salitang patapos dahil gaya ng sinabi ko, pag-aralan ang mga datos, pag-aralan ang dokumento, magsasagawa tayo ng malawakan, malalimang imbestigasyon para maipalutang ang buong katotohanan," he said.

"Siyempre (kinokonsider ang refund). Pagka napatunayan na hindi nila dinisclose ang isang material o nakapakamahalagang impormasyon na makakapag-iimpluwensiya ng mga resulta na nakikita natin ngayon o pag-exam nitong severe dengue disease na kanilang isiniwalat o sinabi ay mananagot sila. Sisiguraduhin natin may mananagot dito," Duque added.

"Magkakaroon ng kaso ito. Ire-refund. We have to protect number one 'yung kalusugan ng mga kabataan," the health secretary emphasized.

"Meron silang accountability, meron silang pananagutan (kung 'di dinisclose ng mas maaga)," Duque said.

The health secretary added that he has heard of groups planning to file a class suit. 

"Meron na nga akong naririnig na magsasampa ng class suit ang mga iba't ibang mga grupo na kumakatawan sa mga batang naturukan na baka nangangamba ang mga magulang at dahil dito magkaroon dapat ng solusyon itong problemang ito," he said.

Master list

Duque said he has directed that a master list of recipients of the vaccine be produced. Health workers will then do a profiling of each recipient of the vaccine and take down his/her medical history.

He added that health workers should report to the DOH cases of children who received the vaccine who got hospitalized "irregardless of their symptoms para matutukan at magkaroon ng malawakang imbestigasyon."

Duque also said the DOH and the local government health systems will monitor the situation for five years. "Wala tayong choice. 'Yan ang gagawin talaga. Five years babantayan ito," he said.

The health secretary also said the DOH will still continue its 4S program against dengue (search and destroy mosquito breeding places, self-protection measures, seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days, and say yes to selective fogging during dengue outbreak).

"Hindi komo naturukan ka ay okay na 'yan. Marami pang ibang tao ang pwedeng magkaroon ng dengue," he said.

Dengue vaccination program

Last week, Sanofi Pasteur advised against prescribing Dengvaxia to patients who have not had dengue in the past since it may cause severe diseases in the long run.

The DOH said that more than 733,000 children — aged 9 and above — from public schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon have already received the first three doses of the vaccine. The vaccination program's target is one million gradeschoolers.

The agency has put on hold the government's dengue vaccination program after Sanofi raised health concerns on the vaccine.

For those who have not yet completed the three doses (spaced six months apart), Duque said vaccination is on hold pending the DOH's study of the data and documents from Sanofi Pasteur.

Duque said the DOH has already formed an expert panel that will study all the documents and data. This panel will then recommend to the DOH executive committee the next plan of action—to continue with the vaccination program or not.

He added that this suspension covers also private health practitioners. "Lahat nasasakupan. Hindi pwedeng ibang pamantayan sa pampubliko sa pribado dahil pangkalusugan lahat 'yan," Duque said.

The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines ordered the suspension of the sale, distribution, and marketing of Dengvaxia vaccine and the withdrawal of the product in the market.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday to investigate the P3.5-billion dengue vaccination program.

Aguirre issued Department Order No. 763, tasking the NBI to investigate and build a case against those responsible for supposedly placing public health in danger.

Sanofi Pasteur Philippines on Monday said it will cooperate with the NBI in its probe. —KG, GMA News