Sanofi won’t refund PHL gov’t for used doses of Dengvaxia

Sanofi Pasteur on Monday said it declined the government's request for a refund of the used doses of Dengvaxia and support an indemnification fund.

In a statement, the company said that when it agreed to reimburse the cost of the unused doses of Dengvaxia, it did so as a show of "continued commitment to cooperate with the Department of Health in ensuring the best possible health outcomes for the people of the Philippines."

It added such a decision was "not due to any safety or quality concerns about the Dengvaxia vaccine."

Sanofi Pasteur said that if it would agree to reimburse the cost of the used doses, it "would imply that the vaccine is ineffective, which is not the case."

The company said that in absolute terms, based on data, vaccination "will provide a net reduction in dengue disease, including severe dengue and, thereby, reduce the overall public health burden associated with this disease."

It added that it would be willing to give new doses of Dengvaxia for free should the DOH decide to continue with its dengue vaccination program.

Sanofi Pasteur said continuing the program would allow those who previously were inoculated with Dengvaxia to complete the recommended three doses "and, thus, have the opportunity to benefit from the full potential of Dengvaxia's ability to protect against dengue.

With regard to the indemnification fund, the company explained that since the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital expert panel said there was no evidence directly linking Dengvaxia to any of the 14 deaths examined, then "there are no safety or quality concerns."

It added that the company is willing to assume responsibility "should there be any case of injury due to dengue that has been demonstrated by credible scientific evidence to be causally related to vaccination," adding that it always follows the highest ethical standards.

Sanofi Pasteur gave the assurance that it would continue to cooperate with authorities, including the DOH and other health and community organizations, to find the best solution for integrated dengue prevention.

"We look forward to a continued dialogue with the Philippine government," it said.

Controversy sparked after Sanofi Pasteur in November 2017 advised against prescribing the said vaccine to patients who have not had the dengue in the past, since it may cause severe dengue in the long run.

At least 830,000 public school students from Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu received the vaccine under the Department of Health's dengue vaccination program. —KG, GMA News