Philippine government to sue SANOFI

By APD writer Melo M. Acuna

MANILA, Dec.7. (APD)– Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said the Philippine government will eventually sue the France-based pharmaceutical company Sanofi over the controversial dengue vaccine, which was learned to possibly case more harm than good in some instance.

In a television interview, Secretary Duque said this is aside from the indemnity find he thought of asking the French company to shoulder possible medical and hospital expenses of children who may end up requiring medical attention due to the Dengvaxia vaccine.

“Eventually that’s where it’s gonna go, because eventually it’s the court of law that’s going to decide insofar as the liability of Sanofi is concerned,” Secretary Duque told ABS-CBN News Channel.

Secretary Duque was quoted saying he plans to ask Sanofi for a refund of the P 3.5 billion the government spent for the dengue vaccine.

In today’s interview, he said vaccines worth P 1.4 billion have not been utilized.

The health secretary said Sanofi will be held liable if found that the company failed to disclose informtion on the vaccine.

He added should it be found the company withheld material information and important details that would have changed the outcome of these problems and the decision-makers at the Department of Health of the previous administration, they should be held liable.

There have been reports of a student said to have died of severe dengue months after receiving Dengvaxia in Bataan while another student from Tarlac was alleged to have contracted severe infection after receiving three shots of the dengue vaccine.

Secretary Duque said he welcomes the congressional investigations into the Dengvaxia vaccine and the procedures observed by government officials during the Aquino administration.

It was purported to protect hundreds of thousands of school children aged nine years old and up.

Some 850,000 children were reported to have undergone immunization.

Initial reports said there were some 733,000 thousand where given anti-dengue vaccines.

The Food and Drug Administration has called for the pull-out of Dengvaxia vaccine from drugstores and health facilities while the World Health Organization in Manila denied having authorized the Department of Health then led by Secretary Janette Garin to begin its immunization campaign.

Last November 29, Sanofi revealed Dengvaxia was found to pose risks of severe dengue had it been given to people who never had dengue virus.

The report caused alarm and concern from parents which sent social and mainstream media into serious discussions where concerned sectors were calling for accountability of people responsible for the deal.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)