Garin files raps vs. Ubial over Dengvaxia controversy

Former Health secretary Janette Garin has filed a criminal complaint against her successor, Paulyn Ubial, in connection with children's deaths allegedly linked to the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

Garin, herself facing charges for alleged vaccine casualties, brought a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Ubial before the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Monday.

The complaint accuses Ubial of expanding the government's school-based dengue immunization program to community-based without basis, and of "relaxing" parental consent protocols for vaccinees.

This shift "was contrary to the globally-espoused recommendation for school-based immunization" and "weakened screening and monitoring mechanisms," Garin argued.

"From the foregoing, it is clear that Sec. Ubial's reckless implementation of the Community-Based Dengue Immunization Program was the only possible cause of the reported deaths," the former Health chief told the DOJ.

"It is unfortunate that several complaints were filed against me and other DOH officials when in truth only Sec. Ubial’s negligence contributed to the alleged reported deaths because of her hasty approval, launch, and implementation of her Community-Based Dengue Immunization Program," she added.

Trying to convince the DOJ that there is probable cause to charge Ubial for violation of Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code (imprudence and negligence), Garin said all elements constituting the offense were present to hold her successor liable.

Community-based vaccination "defeats the purpose" of the immunization program, and is likewise "prone to abuse by local politicians who use it as a political tool [to] facilitate access to free vaccines for their constituents who are unqualified," she also claimed.

Sought for comment, Ubial said she will answer the charges in the proper forum and questioned her predecessor's motive for filing the complaint.

"It's a diversionary tactic to point blame on others and not herself," Ubial told GMA News Online.

Garin and other Department of Health officials face a string of complaints by the parents of minors who died allegedly after receiving at least one dose of Dengvaxia before the DOJ.

She has asked the panel of prosecutors handling the "entirely false, baseless and malicious" cases to dismiss the charges for lack of probable cause, insufficiency of evidence and lack of merit.

Controversy about the supposed risks of the dengue vaccine erupted last year, when Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur revealed its analysis had found that "in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection." — RSJ/BM, GMA News