AMID QUESTIONS MANUFACTURER Use of FOR dengue vaccine halted
Those who have not been infected with the virus are at greater risk of suffering from severe dengue fever, according to the Department of Health World Health Organization is reviewing the efficacy and safety of Dengvaxia, the first licensed dengue vaccin
The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday suspended its P3-billion dengue vaccination program in light of new analysis that the vaccine, Dengvaxia, poses greater risk of severe dengue fever to those who have not been previously infected with the virus.
In a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque asked the public not to panic, saying they are intensifying monitoring and surveillance of the children, aged nine and above, who have received the vaccine.
“Not everybody will get infected with severe dengue. But we shall wait for the final update from Sanofi and WHO (World Health Organization),” Duque said in Tagalog.
Dengvaxia, also referred to as CYD-TDV, is the first licensed dengue vaccine that was developed by Sanofi Pasteur.
A total of 733,713 children from Central Luzon, Calabarzon and National Capital Region received Dengvaxia as of last month. Duque said they still have to determine how many of the total have not been exposed to the virus prior to vaccination.
Duque also said they are coordinating with the WHO, which is reviewing the efficacy and safety of Dengvaxia through the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (Sage) on immunization.
He said Sage is scheduled to meet on Dec. 12 or 13.
Dengvaxia is given to persons aged nine to 45 as a three-dose series on a 0/6/12 month schedule.
In the Philippines, Duque said the first dose was administered to the children of the three pilot regions last April. The second dose was given last October and the third dose is supposed to be given in October 2018.
The vaccine has also been introduced in Brazil. Together with the Philippines, the target was to administer it to about one million individuals.
In an advisory released last Nov. 30, WHO recommended that Dengvaxia be administered only to seropositive subjects, or those who are known to have been infected with dengue pending the full review of its safety.
The organization said recent analysis conducted by Sanofi Pasteur showed that seronegative subjects, or persons who had not been exposed to the dengue virus, “had a higher risk of more severe dengue and hospitalizations due to dengue compared to unvaccinated participants, regardless of age.”
“This increased risk was observed after an initial protective period and persisted over the obser- vation period of up to 66 months post primary vaccination,” the WHO said.
On the other hand, the vaccine significantly protects from severe dengue those who have been infected with dengue prior to immunization
Duque said they were informed that Dengvaxia provides a 30-month protective period after the first dose to both seronegative and seropositive subjects.
Duque said he has directed the department’s legal services group to review the contracts on the implementation of the dengue vaccination program.
He said DOH will provide regular updates through its regional offices, which will coordinate with the health providers, rural health units and government and private hospitals.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rene Catan, head of the Cebu Provincial Health Office, felt “vindicated.”
He told SunStar Cebu that he opposed the program as the vaccine’s manufacturer has yet to answer questions on Dengvaxia’s efficacy. The DOH, though, pushed through with the distribution of the vaccines in Cebu Province after local officials were convinced that these were safe for use.
However, Catan clarified that he was not about about the news. He said he was worried about the children who got the vaccine. /