Experts support dengue vaccination program expansion

The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) supports the continuation and expansion of the dengue vaccination program initiated by the Department of Health.

The vaccination program was started in April of this year targeting all Grade IV nine years and older students in public schools in the National Capital Region (NCR), Region III and Region IV-A.

A review of the program shows that the vaccination coverage reached 67 percent of the targeted children.

Adverse events following 1st dose of dengue vaccination were within the expected range and no safety concerns were found.

Dengue is one of vector- borne infections with a clinical spectrum of illness ranging from mild dengue fever to severe dengue hemorrhagic shock that could potentially lead to death. It results to a heavy burden on the health care system and financial costs to the health sector, particularly during outbreaks as well as on family expenditures.

While it is recognized that environmental sanitation, vector control and public health education are key public health measures against dengue, the vaccine against dengue has been found to be safe and efficacious and is a major breakthrough in the prevention and control of dengue.

Dr. Cecilia Montalban, President of the PFV, said that “Expansion of dengue vaccination to more areas in the Philippines will provide protection against dengue…. There is a need for continuous surveillance of dengue as well as adverse events related to vaccination.”

Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of PFV emphasizedthe need for intensive information, education and communication ( IEC) on the importance of dengue vaccination and of adhering to other disease preventive measures. It is also important to disseminate IEC materials on dengue vaccination to health care workers and to the public. This will promote a better understanding of dengue prevention and control as well as the value of vaccination.

The Philippines is the first country to introduce the dengue vaccination program, following more than a decade of efficacy and safety studies involving more than 30,000 children in 10 endemic countries.