Ona says successor in DOH ‘solely responsible’ for Dengvaxia vaccine mess

Former Health Secretary Enrique Ona on Monday put the blame on his successor in the Department of Health (DOH) for the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

During the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Dengvaxia, Ona said French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur requested for briefings on the status of the clinical study for the anti-dengue vaccine being tested in Southeast Asia including the Philippines and several other countries in South America.

Former Health Secretary Enrique Ona testifies at the Senate hearing on the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine on Monday, January 22, 2018. Benjie Castro

He added that such briefings occurred "almost annually" during his four-and-a-half year term in the DOH.

"I had high hopes like many others that the vaccine being developed would eventually control this mosquito-borne disease that affects more than a hundred thousand Filipinos or patients annually and scares so many of our foreign visitors and tourists," Ona said.

"In light of this Sanofi Pasteur advisory on the use of anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, the leadership that took over the DOH after I left in December 20, 2014 are solely responsible for all the decisions that has resulted in what was becoming to be a major health nightmare in the country," Ona said.

Janette Garin took over the post of Health secretary after Ona. She has yet to reply to Ona's comment as the Senate committee hearing is still ongoing as of posting time.

At least 830,000 public school students have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu according to DOH.

The vaccination program was put on hold last month following Sanofi's advisory that Dengvaxia should not be given to patients who have not had dengue in the past as it may cause severe diseases in the long run.

Sanofi has been fined P100,000 while the Dengvaxia's certificate of product registration was suspended by the Food and Drug Administration.

The vaccine manufacturer has also agreed to reimburse the Philippine government for the P1.4 billion unused vials of Dengvaxia. —KG, GMA News