730,000 children given Dengue vaccine which could make illness more severe
A nurse shows vials of the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) More than 730,0..
More than 730,000 children could be at risk after being given a vaccine which could make Dengue fever worse.
The vaccination programme in schools across the Philippines has been suspended after evidence showed it could make symptoms more severe in children who hadn’t previously had the illness.
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Hundreds of thousands of youngsters in the Philippines, from ages nine and up, received a dose last year and Department of Health (DOH) spokesman Eric Tayag said the country is preparing for the ‘worst-case scenario’, Sky News said.
The office of the Philippine president vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the dengue immunisation programme, which said it placed lives at risk.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: ‘We will leave no stone unturned in making those responsible for this shameless public health scam which puts hundreds of thousands of young lives at risk accountable.’
Makers of Dengvaxia, Sanofi, said the vaccine’s use must be strictly limited. It can still help protect children who previously had Dengue fever.
The immunisation program is in line with the recommendation of the World Health Organization for mass vaccination in highly endemic countries, health officials said on Friday.
Although dengue is not as serious as malaria, it is spreading rapidly in many parts of the world. The virus kills about 20,000 people a year and infects hundreds of millions.
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While Sanofiâ Dengvaxia is the first-ever approved vaccine for dengue, scientists already recognised it was not perfect and did not protect equally against the four different types of the virus in clinical tests.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque has said his department would track the medical history of the thousands of children who were vaccinated and intensify its surveillance to ensure proper care would be given to anyone who may need it.
Senators said they would call for an investigation into the programme.
Sanofi Philippines said it would issue a statement on Monday.
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