Experts appeal for end to spread of ‘false, malicious’ info on Dengvaxia

Some medical experts recently made an appeal for an end to the spread of "false and malicious information" regarding the Dengvaxia vaccine.

The wrong information, they said, have caused "unnecessary panic and hysteria" among the public.

“The stress from daily barrages from media causes stress on Dengvaxia parents like me. Huwag kayong makinig sa hindi naman eksperto, dine-bunk na ng world experts, nakikinig pa din kayo,” said Dr. Charles Yu, past president of the Philippine College of Physicians, during a forum hosted by the Philippine Foundation for vaccination. Yu said his own child was vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommended to the World Health Organization that Dengvaxia be used only after testing on individuals to assess whether they have ever been exposed to dengue.

"We have now clear information that the vaccine needs to be dealt with in a much safer way by using it exclusively in people already infected with dengue before," Alejandro Cravioto, Chair of the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, said.

The SAGE report, however, affirmed that in hyper endemic settings such as the Philippines, pre-vaccination screening is a preferred option, according to Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

“Enough is enough, we’re not just damaging country, the rest of the world is being damaged because yung mga iba narinig yung tungkol sa atin ayaw na ring magpabakuna. It is time to stop and is time to regain our trust in vaccine,” Yu said.

“Dengvaxia vaccine efficacy is confirmed in seropositives, in other words, it is safe and effective when used properly in those with previous dengue infection. The risk in seronegatives is 0.2% or 2 out of 1000. Kapareho lang ito ng risk ng isang taong nagkaroon din ng dengue pero hindi na-vaccinate for severe dengue which is 4.8 out of 1000 [It is the same level of risk on those people who had dengue but had not been vaccinated for severe dengue which is 4.8 out of 1000]," said infectious diseases expert Dr. Edsel Salvana, who is also an Outstanding Young Scientist awardee in 2010.

The experts also said the SAGE report did not tackle viscerotropism and neurotropism which were earlier mentioned by forensic experts from the Public Attorney’s Office as causes of deaths of children previously vaccinated.

A draft report of the Senate blue ribbon committee, however, has recommended the filing of charges against Sanofi Pasteur and its officials and employees over its anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

“Suits must be filed for violations of provisions of the Civil Code on Quasi-delicts against Sanofi for having sold a defective product, endangering, hurting, and may be even killing children who were injected with Dengvaxia,” blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon said, quoting the draft report. —KG, GMA News