Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, has asked the government to reconsider the use of the Dengvaxia vaccine as dengue cases continue to rise in the country.
“We are not saying that government should buy it, but for parents who can afford and would like their children to be protected, they should be given an option to buy,” Garin said in an interview on CNN Philippines’ The Source.
“For the pediatricians who would like their patients to be protected, they can be given the option to do so,” she added.
According to Garin, Dengvaxia has been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Essential Medicines List or the EML.
“Anything that is listed in the EML are medicines, vaccines, and commodities that all governments in the whole world should make available to its people at all times,” she said.
In April 2016, the DOH under Garin’s term launched the dengue school-based immunization program in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
The government allocated P3.5 billion for the program.
In December 2017, the DOH suspended the vaccination program after manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur reported that Dengvaxia should not be recommended to individuals if they have never been infected with the dengue virus.
It warned that the vaccine may cause “more severe dengue cases” on those who may contract the disease for the first time.
According to the DOH, more than 800 thousand school children received Dengvaxia, the world’s first dengue vaccine.IMT
