Dengvaxia purchase above board – prober

MANILA, Philippines — The previous administration’s purchase of a controversial dengue vaccine is “above board” and “all within legal bounds,” the head of the health department’s investigating panel said yesterday.?

Dr. Herminigildo Valle, health undersecretary for field implementation and management, said that while the purchase order for Dengvaxia vaccine was faster than other government transactions, the Department of Health (DOH) and French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur met all the legal requirements in government procurement.?

“Based on so many investigations, wala (none), there’s no gross infraction of the policies and procedures on either procurement or the implementation of the vaccination program,” Valle said in an interview over dzBB yesterday.

The Aquino administration spent P3.5 billion to purchase the Dengvaxia vaccines from Sanofi Pasteur. The administration has been accused of implementing the vaccine program even if studies on its safety had not been completed.

Dengvaxia stirred controversy after it was found that it is harmful if injected to those without a history of dengue. The vaccine reportedly places those who have not had dengue at risk of contracting a more dangerous strain.

But the DOH’s investigating panel saw no proof linking Dengvaxia vaccination to the reported cases of fatalities.

“There is no direct causality of Dengvaxia, wala talagang (there is absolutely no) evidence that Dengvaxia is causing the death or demise of our patients,” Valle said.

Valle also said “there is overwhelming data on the efficacy” of Dengvaxia in preventing dengue for the appropriate groups, specifically for Filipinos nine years old and above.

“It really helps prevent the disease compared to those who were not vaccinated,” he added.

Valle said the only question was about the judgment to purchase Dengvaxia and implement the vaccination program nationwide. But even this could be considered a non-factor because “judgment is a difficult thing,” considering the increase in the number of dengue cases in the country and the scientific findings on the efficacy of Dengvaxia.

Earlier, President Duterte said even he could not find wrongdoing in the decision of former president Benigno Aquino III and former health secretary Janette Garin to implement a nationwide anti-dengue vaccination program, considering the increasing number of dengue cases in the country.

Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, elder brother of Garin, refused to comment on the issue. He only expressed optimism that the investigation will never hide the truth.