Ombudsman indicts Garin, 4 others over Dengvaxia vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The Ombudsman on Wednesday filed graft and malversation charges against former Department of Health Secretary (DOH) and now Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin in relation to the Devangxia vaccine purchase.

Based on the document dated October 24, Garin and four other health officials were accused by the Ombudsman, saying that they violated Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The four other officals are: former DOH undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo, former acting director Maria Joyce Ducusin, former Philippine Children’s Medical Center chief Julius Lecciones and former DOH undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go.

These officials, according to the Ombudsman, played a role in reallocating the department's budget for the acquisition and distribution of Dengvaxia vaccines to public school students. 

In 2016, the government allocated P3.5 billion for purchasing the dengue vaccines from French-based pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur as part of the health department's expanded immunization initiative.

DOH ordered the suspension of the distribution of the vaccines in 2017 after the World Health Organization said that Dengvaxia is ineffective. 

For Garin, this case will “finally put an end” to the issue of Dengvaxia.

“There are a lot of risks in advocating vaccine development that we, as doctors and vaccinologists, experience. It is part of the challenges that come with our calling to save lives,” Garin said in a statement.

In 2015, the Dengvaxia vaccine became the first vaccine to be licensed for dengue prevention.