New DOH chief not keen on Dengvaxia revival

Newly-appointed Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Wednesday said he is not keen on bringing back the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in the country.

Herbosa simply said “no” when asked whether the revival of Dengvaxia is among his plans as Health chief.

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

As a result, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration ordered the suspension of the sale, distribution, and marketing of Dengvaxia vaccine and the withdrawal of the product from the market.

The controversy happened as the government was already conducting its dengue vaccination program under then-Health Secretary Janette Garin.

In July 2022, former Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency is open to studying again the possible evidence presented by Dengvaxia in protecting people against the virus.

The have been 48,109 dengue cases recorded in the country from January 1 to May 13, 2023 based on DOH’s latest epidemic-prone disease case surveillance report.

This number was 38% higher than the 34,963 dengue cases logged during the same period in 2022.

A total of 176 dengue-related deaths were also logged this year, positing a 0.4% case fatality rate. —VAL, GMA Integrated News