French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur has agreed to refund the unused vials of Dengvaxia worth P1.4-billion, as demanded by the Department of Health (DOH).
“Sanofi Pasteur has responded positively to the Philippine Department of Health’s request that we provide reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the public vaccination program,” Sanofi said in a statement.
This move, however, does not imply that they are admitting the quality issues of their Dengvaxia vaccines, Sanofi said.
“Sanofi Pasteur hopes that this decision will allow us to be able to work more openly and constructively with the DoH to address the negative tone towards the dengue vaccine in the Philippines today,” it said.
Last Friday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III wrote two demand letters to Sanofi’s Asia Pacific head, Thomas Triomphe, asking him to give a refund to the government and to conduct a serotesting to those who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 01/ 15 / 18)