HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday warned disease outbreaks could happen due to public fear on vaccines following the controversy over the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
Speaking at a news forum in Manila, Duque said vaccination coverage rates had plunged “as a whole” since Dengvaxia’s maker announced late last year the vaccine might aggravate dengue in some cases.
In particular, Duque mentioned Davao City and Zamboanga City, where measles outbreaks had been declared, and in Region 3 (Central Luzon).
However, he claimed the Department of Health’s Outbreak Response Immunization effort in Davao City had contributed to the inching up of vaccination coverage rates.
“That’s not a remote possibility, I think that can happen which… [I] hope doesn’t happen,” he told reporters when asked if he feared more disease outbreaks could result from the dengue vaccine scare.
A report from the Department of Health Region 11, Duque said, found that the issue surrounding Dengvaxia was the top reason for people’s unwillingness to be vaccinated.
In related developments:
* Malacañang on Wednesday urged government agencies involved in investigating the implementation of the controversial Dengvaxia to cooperate to resolve the case and find out which individuals could be held liable.
Opposition lawmakers earlier called on President Rodrigo Duterte to step in amid apparent conflict between two agencies, the Department of Health and the Public Attorney’s Office, on the sharing of tissue samples of children who allegedly died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
PAO chief Persida Rueda Acosta denied the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Dengvaxia team of experts, which was formed by the DoH, access to the tissue samples.
Acosta said her agency refused to share the samples with the DoH, insisting there would be a “conflict” of interest” since some health officials could be charged.
*Due to the investigation of top DoH officials over their alleged approval of the purchase and use of Dengvaxia in a mass vaccination program in 2016 that resulted in the death of 40 children, the agency will implement a revamp in its senior leadership next week.
Duque noted the changes were made in light of investigations concerning their high-ranking officials.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice formally started on February 26 its investigation into the possible criminal liabilities of former President Benigno Aquino III and 19 others, including health officials in connection with the controversial anti-dengue vaccine.
Prosecutor Jorge Catalan Jr. said they formed a four-person panel of prosecutors to conduct the preliminary investigation into the complaint filed in February by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc.
Roque pointed out the quarreling agencies would only give French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur satisfaction that the investigation was taking longer.
Roque reiterated that Duterte’s mandate was to continue the probe until persons were held liable. However, while parties refused to cooperate, investigation would take longer.
Medical experts and doctors have questioned chief of Public Attorney’s Office forensic unit Dr. Erwin Erfe’s expertise in concluding that many of the children examined died after they were vaccinated.
Acosta, however, defended Erfe, saying he had appropriate training to conduct a forensic examination on the children.
The panel will determine if there is probable cause to indict the following respondents for multiple homicide and physical injuries, malversation of public funds, and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the Government Procurement Reform Act:
former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget secretary Florencio Abad, Garin, and incumbent DoH officials- Usec. Carol Tanio, Usec. Gerardo Bayugo, Usec. Lilibeth David, Usec. Mario Villaverde, Usec. Vicente Belizario Jr., Usec. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Asec. Lyndon Lee Suy, Asec. Nestor Santiago, Former Financial Management Service Director Laureano Cruz, Directors Joyce Ducusin, May Wynn Belo, Leonila Gorgolon, Rio Magpantay, Ariel Valencia Julius Lecciones and Yolanda Oliveros and retired Health Undersecretary Nemesio Gako.
The charge sheet also included senior executives from Sanofi Pasteur and Selling Pharma, the vaccine supplier of the DoH.
The anti-corruption groups had said Aquino and the other respondents should be held responsible for the implementation of the anti-dengue vaccination program.
Under these changes, Duque said certain undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors would be reassigned to other offices.
“I am reassigning certain undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors of the Department of Health in order to preserve the integrity of ongoing investigations and to prevent any potential undue influence on their findings,” Duque said.
Last week, two senior officials at the Food and Drug Administration were reassigned upon the recommendation of the Director General.
“I respect the recommendation of the Director General to support any efforts in ensuring that ongoing investigations remain fair and transparent and immune to undue influence,” Duque added.
Duque, however, assured the public that it was not taking lightly allegations of impropriety brought about the Dengvaxia controversy.
Meanwhile, in a news forum on Wednesday, he downplayed the seeming inconsistencies in the findings of doctors from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital and the PAO investigating the Dengvaxia controversy.
He called on the two groups to collaborate and complement because it doesn’t mean that the findings of PAO are wrong since UP-PGH has its own findings.
Earlier, Senator JV Ejercito told the PAO to let UP-PGH handle the autopsy on the children who were believed to have died due to Dengvaxia. He also questioned the qualifications of the chief of PAO’s forensic unit, Dr. Erwin Erfe, whom Acosta defended as qualified.
More than 800,000 individuals received at least one dose of Dengvaxia in 2016 as part of the government’s now-suspended mass dengue immunization program. PNA with Macon Ramos-Araneta