Full refund from Sanofi sought
DOH calls on persons behind 13.5-B Dengvaxia purchase to explain
The Department of Health (DOH)is seeking for the full refund of the 13.5 billion used to purchase anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia after its manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, revealed that the vaccine could worsen the effects of the disease on those who have not been exposed to the dengue virus.
Likewise, the DOH called
on all persons behind the procurement to explain their side in order to avoid anymore unnecessary speculations.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the people behind the now controversial dengue immunization program should come forward and explain their side of the story, including then Health Secretary Janet Garin.
“It’s really up to them if they would like to clarify several issues on the matter because they were the ones who made the very vital decision to procure the vaccines,” Duque said during the Task Force Bangon Marawi briefing in Malacañang Friday.
“But it will be good for everyone. I believe very strongly it is going to be good for everyone [for those responsible] to come forward and to say his or her piece and to explain,” he added.
“Otherwise, there will be too many speculations ‘no and sometimes there are innuendos, very toxic speculations or innuendos,” he continued.
Duque also gave people behind the now controversial program the benefit of the doubt, saying they won’t compromise the public safety.
“I’m sure they actually meant well. I have no doubt that they did mean well. So to prevent that from snowballing, might be good, sabihinna lang kung ano talaga (just to tell what really happened),” he said.
They were guided based on the feedback and from the documentary evidence that the WHO guidelines were in fact followed, he added.
Duque was referring to three guidelines which include the giving of the vaccines to communities where there is 70 percent of the population that has been exposed to the dengue.
The other guideline is that the government should administer the vaccine to children and individuals from ages 9 to 45. These individuals should also be given three vaccines to complete the program.
Garin in Paris Meanwhile, Duque also gave Garin the benefit of the doubt when reports surfaced that the former Health secretary went to Paris, France to meet with the top honchos of Sanofi. But it’s hard to secondguess, he said.
He added that it is too early to comment whether these persons should be charged for this anomaly involving the dengue vaccines.
Legal battle Duque, despite reports that the government is planning to file a case against Sanofi, refused to divulge information on the matter.
He said the Senate and the House of Representatives will be conducting their probe on the matter on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
He also noted that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct an in-depth probe on those who might be held accountable.
“We’ll have to await as the investigation progresses. I’m sure that some of the information will be known,” Duque said.
“But the DOH, for its part, has to cooperate here. Certainly, it will provide the important, pertinent documents,” he added.
Origin of funds
Duque, given that he has only been Health secretary for a month, was not also familiar on how the procurement of the vaccines was funded.
“Originally, the source was from the proceeds collected from the sin taxes. Yes. And I think there was a savings. It’s a kind of patchy information that I have, but there was the money, yes,” he said.
He said does not think that the money used to acquire the vaccines was part of the DOH budget and stated that the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) was the one instructed to buy the vaccines.
“I don’t think it was a part of the DOH budget. It wasn’t. There was an instruction to the PCMC to purchase the vaccine,” Duque said.
“It’s not PCMC budget. It’s a budget that was given to PCMC because the instruction was for it to do the procurement. But we don’t know the originating fund,” he added.
“I’m sure that all of these will surface once the investigation begins,” he added.