The dengue vaccine, also known as Dengvaxia, has been in the headlines the past few weeks. This stems from an earlier announcement of Sanofi Pasteur that the vaccine can cause severe disease for those who have not had dengue. In response to this, the Philippine government called for an investigation into the inclusion of the vaccine in the country’s national immunization program.
Under the program, over 730,000 school children were given the vaccine, according to Reuters. Government has also ordered the suspension of vaccine use until the investigation has been concluded.
5 Things To Know About The Dengue Vaccine
1. Dengvaxia, the world’s first dengue vaccine, is manufactured by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur. It received its first license in Mexico in Dec. 2015. The Philippines’ own Food and Drug Administration approved its use on Dec 2015. According to an Inquirer report, Mexico only used it in areas where dengue is widespread, and for people between the ages of 9 to 45 years. A complete vaccination consists of 3 doses through subcutaneous injection in the upper arm.
2. Before it’s approval, Dengvaxia underwent several phases of clinical development. During these phases, subjects from Cebu and selected areas in Metro Manila participated in the clinical studies. The Department of Health said that the Philippines was among the countries who helped in the “efficacy and safety studies” of the vaccine before it was approved.
3. According to DOH, the dengue vaccine was included in the national immunization program starting April 2016. Over 730,000 public school children received the immunization. The whole program is said to cost P3.5 billion. Recipients were primarily Grade 4 students, aged 9 to 10 years old.
4. What exactly did Sanofi reveal of about its new study? During its Dec. 4 press briefing, the company shared its new findings from recent clinical studies. They said that the use of the vaccine does not cause “severe dengue” but “increase the risk of hospitalization.” They also reiterated that they do not recommend it to patients who have not experienced dengue. “In individuals who have not been previously infected by dengue virus, there is an increased risk of hospitalization for dengue and severe dengue, predominantly Grade I or II Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF),” according to their statement.
5. The World Health Organization never recommended the use of the vaccine in any national immunization program. In a position paper released in July 2016, WHO set its guidelines for the use of the vaccine which are as follows: “First, use of the vaccine should only be considered in areas where a high proportion of the community had already been exposed to the virus; second, the vaccine should only be provided to people 9 years of age and above; and third, people being vaccinated should receive 3 doses.”
The position paper, however, was released way after the DOH decided to include it in the national immunization program.
Philippine Health Department Now Monitoring Recipients
According to a GMA report, the DOH has committed to monitor the recipients of the vaccine. Among the 730,000 school children, only 200,000 received the complete dosage. According to DOH Usec. Lyndon Lee Suy, they are waiting for guidelines from the WHO on whether the 500,000 children will still need to complete the shots.
The Department of Education also said that they will help in monitoring those who got the shots. Around 8 to 10 % of the 730,000 children have had no previous dengue infection, according to the DOH.