At the same time, Health Sec. Francisco Duque said here yesterday he would “surely hold accountable” those who, in a probe being done by his agency, are found to have withheld any “data” on the vaccine that could have otherwise compelled the past administration not to push through with a massive anti-dengue vaccination program.
In a “Dengue Summit” organized by Gov. Lilia G. Pineda and attended by thousands of local officials and health workers from all over this province, Duque announced that last Thursday afternoon, Sanofi turned over a check worth P1,161,000,000 to the government as refund for the still unused vials of Dengvaxia vaccines which the firm belatedly admitted as being unsafe for people without any history of dengue.
“I was told that the matter of refunding the entire amount allocated by the government for the anti-dengue immunization program is being tackled at the highest levels of the firm,” Duque said.
He said, however, that the refunded amount would be reverted to the national treasury, but expressed hopes that his agency would be allowed to use it for its program to advance the interests of Dengvaxia-vaccinated children and their families.
Duque also assured parents of some 800,000 kids vaccinated with Dengvaxia that PhilHealth would cover all hospitalization costs of kids who were given anti-dengue vaccines,
In Pampanga, however, Pineda ordered all 11 district hospitals in the province to implement “zero balance” hospital cost for all dengue patients, even those who were not given Dengvaxia shots. An official of the Jose B. Lingad Regional Hospital here also vowed to off er totally free hospitalization for dengue patients.
Duque said the DOH is finding out who were the persons involved in deciding to implement a massive Dengvaxia vaccination drive involving some 800,000 pupils of public schools in Central Luzon, National Capital Region and Calabarzon Region.
“It was too rushed. There was wrong advice given to the past president. It was too near the 2016 elections,” he said, short of attributing politics to the vaccination program.
“If I were the health secretary then, I would not have implemented the program, because it is better to err on the side of caution,” he said.
At the same time, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) panel of experts, which was created by the DOH to look into the scientific aspects of the Dengvaxia controversy, forwarded to Duque yesterday its initial findings on Dengvaxia, as well as its recommendations.
Domingo said the panel has yet to finish its findings on 12 cases of children who succumbed to dengue despite being immunized with Dengvaxia.
“The information I got is that it has finished with 11 of the cases and is still looking into the three more cases,” he noted.
The PGH panel recommended the continuing use of Dengvaxia vaccines but only for those who have had a history of dengue who could be given all the required three doses of the vaccine.
It also recommended full assistance to vaccinated kids who would fall ill to dengue. The panel also recommended compensation for families of the vaccinated children.
Duque noted, however, that the case of Sanofi vaccines did not cover only the effectiveness of its vaccines for those already with history of dengue, as he noted other shortcomings of the firm.
He noted that Sanofi failed in its surveillance commitment in the Dengvaxia program and had failed to submit other required documents.
Duque said that he would recommend that government assistance to the vaccinated children to include free provision of anti-mosquito lotions.
“We will tackle this and we could be ready with some announcement within two weeks,” he said.
