Duterte receives shortlist of Asian experts to look into safety concerns vs Dengvaxia — Roque

FILE: “Mayroon naman po tayong sapat na budget para sila’y imbitahan dito sa Pilipinas at mag-aral doon sa kung anong dapat nilang pag-aralan para magkaroon sila ng konklusyon sa tunay na epekto ng Dengvaxia,” Roque said. (PCOO photo)

The Department of Health (DOH) submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte a shortlist of Asian pathologists who will look into the effects of Dengvaxia, the world’s first dengue vaccine, the Palace said on Tuesday, July 10.

In a press briefing in Cavite, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Duterte will choose from the experts proposed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to form the three-man panel that will lead the investigation.

He added that these candidates, who are from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Sri Lanka have no ties with anyone in the Philippines.

“Mayroon naman po tayong sapat na budget para sila’y imbitahan dito sa Pilipinas at mag-aral doon sa kung anong dapat nilang pag-aralan para magkaroon sila ng konklusyon sa tunay na epekto ng Dengvaxia (We have enough budget to invite them to the Philippines and study what they must so they can have a conclusion on the real effect of Dengvaxia),” he said.

Duterte ordered the creation of the investigative panel in May. Roque said the President was constrained to seek further advice from the foreign pathologists because of the conflicting reports of University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) in relation to the controversial dengue immunization program.

The PAO’s findings earlier stated that the deaths of some vaccinated children showed “strong links” to Dengvaxia; however, the UP-PGH reported that this could not be attributed to the vaccine.

Duque ordered the suspension of the school-based dengue vaccination program in December last year, following concerns over the risks posed by the vaccine to those without prior infection. This was launched during the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

More than 830,000 public school students — aged nine and above — in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon were vaccinated under the immunization program.