PMA still awaits Palace response on dengue vaccine request
The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) on Friday, April 25, said it is still waiting for a response from Malacañang, two months after it formally asked President Marcos to fast-track the approval of a new dengue vaccine.
“Basically po we sent the letter to the media po bago po makatating kay president. Until now, we don’t have any answers from Malacañang po yet (We sent the letter to the media before it reached the President. Until now, we don’t have any answers from Malacañang yet),” Dr. Erica Davillo, the chairperson of the PMA Adhoc on Dengue Program, said during a press briefing in Quezon City.
The doctors’ group said it is hoping the Palace will issue a response during the 8th Asia Dengue Summit which will be held in Manila in June.
“So of course we are still hoping na maybe in June, on the Asia Dengue Summit, we can hear answers from Malacañang. Naniniwala kami na the Malacañang Palace will have positive answers para sa ating fellow Filipinos (So of course we are still hoping that maybe in June, at the Asian Dengue Summit, we can hear answers from Malacañang. We believe the Palace will have positive answers for our fellow Filipinos),” said Davillo.
In February, the PMA urged the President Marcos to immediately approve the TAK003 dengue vaccine developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda.
The group cited the rising dengue cases in the country and said current prevention methods were not enough.
The PMA stated that the vaccine has been licensed in over 40 countries, including Indonesia, Brazil, and nations in the European Union.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended its use in high-risk areas like the Philippines.
Despite this, the TAK003 vaccine remains under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since April 2023.
The Department of Health (DOH) said it supports new tools to combat dengue, but maintained that the FDA must complete its evaluation before any approval can be granted.
In its letter to President Marcos, the PMA expressed concern over the government’s reliance on traditional strategies.
“Despite these efforts, dengue remains a public health concern with rising cases all year round. We need to consider other innovative strategies available to address dengue,” the group said.
The PMA added that TAK003 has shown encouraging results in terms of safety and efficacy.
“We strongly urge the government to grant access to these new-generation dengue vaccines and allow Filipinos the right to protect themselves from this dreadful disease, as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution,” the letter read.
Meanwhile, the DOH on Thursday, April 24, reported a 23 percent drop in new dengue cases nationwide.
From March 16 to 29, the agency recorded 9,289 new cases, a decrease from 12,050 reported from March 2 to 15.
The DOH credited the decline to intensified community efforts, particularly the “Taob, Taktak, Tuyo, Takip” campaign, which urges households to clean and cover water containers that can become mosquito breeding grounds.