Witness questions short shelf life of dengue vaccines

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Witness questions short shelf life of dengue vaccines

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

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A pharmacist shows boxes of Devangxia vaccine inside a vaccine refrigerator at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - A witness fielded by Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption on Monday questioned why some of the dengue vaccines procured from Sanofi Pasteur allegedly have a 16-month shelf life instead of 3 years.

"Pag binigyan kayo ng gamot na tatagal lang ng isang taon at apat na buwan, mag-isip kayo, ito ba yung binabayaran ko kasi dapat... Bakit niyo naman tatanggapin yun sa halagang pinag-usapan?"
Dr. Francis Cruz, who served as a consultant to former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial, told senators during a hearing on the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Ubial said it was standard practice in the government that procured medicines should have a shelf life of at least 18 months, and not 16 as alleged by Cruz.

Cruz said the controversy over the P3.4 billion dengue vaccination program is "just the tip of the iceberg."

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He questioned the timing of the roll-out of the vaccination program in January 2016, just a few months before the May 2016 presidential election.

"Ano ang naging basehan sa pagpili ng beneficiaries ng programa at bakit ito ginawa sa gitna ng eleksyon? Wala namang urgency ang pagbabakuna. Wala namang epidemic. Hindi nga nakaka-prevent ito," he said.

"Bakit mo gagawin sa summer vacation? Bakit mo mamadaliin bago mag-eleksyon?"

He also questioned the DOH's implementation of the program, noting that there was no "full disclosure" to frontline health workers and parents of the children to be vaccinated.

"Ang minumungkahi ng WHO (World Health Organization) dapat ito ay localized at kasama ang ibang intervention—may vector control po ito. It’s dengue, a vector-borne disease. You cannot have immunization and expect ma-reduce mo yung transmission. Dapat may vector control intervention," he said.

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The Senate is investigating the procurement of some P3-billion worth of Dengvaxia after French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur revealed that the vaccine may cause more severe symptoms on those who had not been previously infected by dengue.

In his testimony, Cruz said authorities should also investigate other "anomalies" inside the health department.

"Itong anomaly na ito, napakaliit kumpara sa P23-billion health facility anomaly at yung P12-billion na binili nilang gamot," he said.

"Hindi lang ito vaccine anomaly. Yung mga nasa ating Department of Health hindi nag-serve ng tama; inuna nila ang kanilang pangangailangan. Malaki ang makikita ninyo kaya kailangang ang [Department of Justice] at [National Bureau of Investigation] ay imbestigahan ang DOH," he said.

Cruz claimed that DOH employees have signified intent to testify regarding these issues.

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