DOH to 'gather evidence' on dengue vaccines amid increasing cases
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is gathering evidence on the different dengue vaccines as cases of the mosquito-borne disease continue to increase in the country.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the government “would always be open to the use of new technology.”
She noted that 23 countries are using dengue vaccines, adding that these vaccines are included in the “emergency medicines list” of the World Health Organization.
“What we are doing right now in the department would be gathering evidence, studying it and once we have completed that, we will be convening our experts,” Vergeire said during a television interview on Friday, July 15.
“So, we will study this thoroughly para magkaroon naman tayo ng rekomendasyon para sa ating Presidente kung saka-sakali (so that we can have a recommendation for our President if ever),” she added.
‘Dengvaxia works if use properly’
Infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said that the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia works if this will be used in the right manner.
“Regulatory-wise, I really don’t have any comments there because I’m not a bureaucrat, I am not a regulatory person. But from a science perspective, it’s very clear that if we use Dengvaxia properly and people who have had at least one bout of dengue, it does decrease your risk of severe disease by a lot,” said Salvana in a separate television interview.
The Dengvaxia vaccine is approved for use in the US and Europe, he said.
“From a science standpoint, the vaccine works as long as it is properly used. We also have the tools now where we can actually check for dengue infection or prior dengue infection in someone before they get the vaccine. That will decrease the risk of having severe disease as a result of injecting somebody who has not had dengue,” he said.
“We have the tools to make this safer and the science does support the fact that it does decrease the risk of severe dengue, especially in children,” he added.
On Thursday, July 14, Salvana said the public should keep an open-mind about the different tools available that can help address the rising number of dengue cases.