Dengue vaccination: I didn’t pressure DOH to expand program - Gwen

CEBU, Philippines — Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia has denied pressuring former health secretary Paulyn Ubil into expanding the dengue vaccination program to Cebu.

Garcia represents Cebu’s Third District in Congress.

On Thursday, Ubial told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that several House members, including Garcia and Iloilo First District Rep. Oscar Garin, Jr., pressured her to expand the dengue vaccination program to Central Visayas.

 The program became controversial after the manufacturer of the vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur, revealed the vaccine may have adverse effects on those who have not yet been infected with dengue.

Dengvaxia is the world’s first vaccine against dengue.

In an article by ABS-CBN, Garcia said she and her colleagues in Congress merely did their jobs when they lobbied for Ubial to implement the dengue immunization program in their districts.

"We had to ask at that time because 'yung Congress kasi is tasked to scrutinize the budget further. As a congresswoman of my constituency, I was seeing at that time that the vaccination program would help our school children kasi hindi nga sila makaka-afford niyan, the commercial price outside kung magpapa-vaccinate would be P3,600 to 4,000 per dose," Garcia told ABS-CBN.

She said her visits around the province showed many cannot afford the vaccine. When they lobbied for the program, they were reportedly made to believe the vaccine was safe.

"I said, 'What are you going to do with all of these vaccines na nabili na because according to you and according to the papers that have been given to us from the DOH (Department of Health), there was a panel of experts already that have recommended itong vaccination program? Ngayon, you have passed another resolution with another set of experts asking for a halt. Which is which?'," Garcia said.

 She explained it was Ubial who had been inconsistent with her position on the vaccine.

 "We see to it money is spent judiciously. At that time, she could not give a clear answer kung bakit nag-flipflop. At first, she agreed even as assistant secretary under then-Secretary [Janette] Garin," she said.

 "She was endorsing this program, but when she became the Secretary, kahit may previous resolution na signed by the regional panel of experts, even signed by the WHO (World Heath Organization) Asia Pacific representative eh napalabas siya ng ibang resolution na naman na i-hold 'yung vaccination," she added.

 Garcia said Ubial could not give lawmakers a clear answer why two experts gave conflicting opinions.

 Garcia also recalled telling Ubial, "When the WHO Asia Pacific representative has in fact endorsed this program, please tell us what are you going to do if you halt it, kung mayroon ka na namang another set of experts that will say and it was notable na hindi nga pumirma 'yung original set that signed that resolution, may papers tayo lahat diyan."

 "We were just performing our jobs at that is our mandate that we have to scrutinize our budget and see to it that it is spent wisely. She could not give a clear explanation why. She kept flipflopping, she couldn't answer us. Ano gagawin niya, nabili na dengue vaccines? That's why other congressmen said kung may sobra diyan, ilagay niyo naman doon sa aming region."

Cebu province was the fourth pilot area following three highly endemic regions, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and National Capital Region.

DOH decided to expand the dengue vaccination program to Cebu after the number of dengue cases here skyrocketed in 2016.

Recipient list

Meanwhile, the Cebu Provincial Board has approved a resolution requesting local government units to submit to the Provincial Health Office (PHO) a list of those who received the vaccine.

Both Governor Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale support the submission of the list.

The resolution, penned by Board Member Christopher Baricuatro, reads:

“The Cebu Provincial Government, through the Cebu Provincial health Office, will be creating a database containing the names of recipients, their addresses, contact numbers, dates of vaccination, and whether a certain recipient has a history of dengue infection.”

PHO head, Dr. Rene Catan, said earlier it is important to know if the recipient has a history of dengue so he or she can be monitored for possible adverse effects.

For the first shot, DOH-7 counted a total of 159,766 children aged nine to 14 that were vaccinated in Cebu Province and from the tri-cities. They comprise almost half of the 323,779 eligible recipients.

The first of three doses in Cebu province was administered from June to October. The second round of dengue vaccination was supposed to start this December but the program was suspended following the revelation of Sanofi Pasteur.

In the second week of December, DOH-7 started pulling out the vaccine from the city health offices and rural health units in the province. (FREEMAN)