Dengvaxia vs. rise in dengue cases? Gov’t open to all options, Palace says

Malacañang is open to the proposal of again making the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine available to the public if tests confirmed its effectiveness against the disease.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government was “always open to anything that will benefit the Filipino people.”

He made the remark on Wednesday after former Health Secretary and now Iloilo Representative Janette Garin asked for the return of the controversial vaccine in the market.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier declared a "National Dengue Alert" as cases of dengue continue to rise in the country.

“That has to be discussed thoroughly, extensively, maybe [by] the experts to support any call for the return of Dengvaxia,” Panelo told reporters.

“If the weight of the findings show that there is benefit using Dengvaxia against dengue then certainly the government should consider it," he added.

The number of dengue cases has already reached 106,630 from January 1 to June 29 this year, which was 85% higher than the number of recorded cases during the same period last year.

Further, from June 30 to July 6, more than 5,000 additional dengue cases were added, during which 35 patients died.

Duque recently met with lawmakers from dengue-affected regions and suggested to push local government units to enter into agreements with public and private hospitals to expand the scope of medical assistance from the Department of Health.

Apart from financial support, Duque also committed to make machines and chemicals needed by LGUs for mosquito fogging more available.

The Dengvaxia controversy arose in November 2017 when manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur announced that the vaccine may lead to more severe symptoms of dengue for those who have never been infected by the virus prior to vaccination.

As a result, the DOH stopped the school-based dengue immunization program and proposed to Duterte a panel of Asian health experts that will look into safety issues raised against the vaccine.

Several criminal complaints in connection with deaths allegedly linked to Dengvaxia have also been filed by the Public Attorney’s Office before the Department of Justice. —NB, GMA News