DESPITE the controversy involving dengue vaccines in the past, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said it will not oppose the return of the dengue vaccines in the country.
In a statement, PMA president Dr. Hector Santos said the tools to combat the mosquito-borne disease must not be limited to existing dengue control initiatives.
“Prevention strategies must continue to be strengthened and evolve alongside new innovations that become available globally,” said Santos.
“Any new intervention must undergo a thorough and science-based review to support informed decision-making and public confidence,” he added.
This was seconded by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).
According to PHAP executive director Teodoro Padilla, they are in favor of allowing the use of dengue vaccines as long as they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Immunization remains among the most cost-effective public health interventions,” said Padilla.
“We advocate for life-course protection by supporting access to vaccines that have been approved and are in use in other countries, in line with applicable regulatory requirements in the Philippines,” he added.
It was back in 2016 when the Philippines last saw dengue vaccines via its dengue vaccination campaign, wherein it used the Dengvaxia of French pharmaceutical firm, Sanofi Pasteur.
The Dengvaxia jabbing campaign was subsequently stopped after Sanofi revealed that the vaccine could put previously uninfected people at a higher risk of developing severe case of dengue.
Since then, several countries, including neighboring nations, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, have granted regulatory authorization for dengue vaccines.
In the Philippines, the “Qdenga” dengue vaccine of Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceutical Company is still under regulatory evaluation of the FDA. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
