February 22 ------ The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) on Tuesday urged the government to grant access to new-generation dengue vaccines as cases of the mosquito-borne disease continue to rise. “We need to consider other innovative strategies available to address dengue,” the organization stated in a letter addressed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The appeal was made during the launch of the Empowering Networks to Defeat Dengue (END Dengue) Coalition in Quezon City. The organization acknowledged concerns over vaccine safety due to past issues with Dengvaxia, which was suspended in 2017 after reports of severe side effects in individuals without prior dengue infection.
The PMA cited new advancements in vaccine technology, specifically TAK003, also known as Qdenga, developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. Qdenga has been licensed in 40 countries and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in dengue-endemic areas such as the Philippines.
Dr. Lulu Bravo, President of Immunization Partners in Asia Pacific, called for immediate action, saying Filipinos have the right to access protection against dengue. “Our effective controls for dengue are lacking. We try to take action to eliminate what we call mosquito breeding sites. But we cannot stop climate change,” she said. “There is now a new generation of dengue vaccines that we can use, and hopefully, this will be the way to truly control dengue. Even the WHO has said so,” Bravo added.
She noted that vaccine approval in the Philippines has taken longer than expected, pointing out that Dengvaxia was licensed within six months, while Qdenga has been under review for two years. The Department of Health (DOH) reported that dengue cases have surged nationwide, with 28,234 cases recorded as of February 1, a 40% increase from the same period last year. Quezon City has declared a dengue outbreak after at least 10 reported deaths, and eight other areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon are at risk of following suit.
The PMA plans to submit its letter to Malacañang within the week, pushing for the inclusion of new-generation dengue vaccines in the country’s public health strategy.
Source: manilastandard.net
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