Garin: No corruption in gov’t procurement of Dengvaxia

FILE: The former health secretary said that the procurement of Dengvaxia was not hastily implemented. (Photo: DOH’s official Facebook page)

Former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Janette Garin on Monday refuted allegations of corruption thrown against her in the multi-billion procurement of the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia from French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.

The former health secretary said that the procurement of Dengvaxia was not hastily implemented, and stressed that the purchase was a decision of the DOH as an institution.

“Wala po itong korupsiyon. Wala itong hinahangad na pagmamadali dahil matagal na pong pinag-uusapan ang problema ng dengue [There’s no corruption here. It was not rushed because the problem of dengue has long been talked about],” Garin said before attending a Senate probe into the vaccine.

“It’s not a midnight deal. Everything was above board. The integrity management committee report of the DOH will show that. The report is there,” she added. “We decided based on the data available at the time with the desire to fight dengue.”

The government has earlier halted the dengue immunization program after Sanofi revealed that according to a new clinical analysis, the said dengue vaccine is more harmful to individuals without prior dengue infections.

For the protection of the general public, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also ordered the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur to suspend the distribution, sale, and marketing of Dengvaxia.

“In order to protect the general public, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) immediately directed Sanofi to suspend the sale/distribution/marketing of Dengvaxia and cause the withdrawal of Dengvaxia in the market pending compliance with the directives of the FDA,” the FDA said.