CPHO: Free Dengue Vaccine Awaits Survey Results

Cebu Provincial Health Office (CPHO) Chief Dr. Rene Catan said he will wait for the results of the clinical study conducted in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, before he will recommend the free distribution of the dengue vaccines in Cebu.

During the public hearing held at the Capitol late last week, Catan said the results of the tests will be completed within this year. The clinical trials, which started in 2011, aims to come up with appropriate anti-dengue vaccine.

The vaccine, developed by France-based Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., was initially distributed last April 2016 among grade 4 pupils aged nine years old and above in the National Capital Region.

Among the concerns of the public hearing was the regulation of the free distribution of the vaccine as well as its adverse effect.

Catan expressed concerns over the age group being targeted for the testing, adding that the CPHO will have to conduct a thorough study on the data gathered from the survey.

“We need more data and study. Nganong di man mahatag ang sa nag edad og eight years below,” Catan said.

Department of Health (DOH) 7 representative, Miguel Gerzon, explained that the vaccines will comprise of three doses to be administered every six months.

Gerzon explained that rural health officers will carry out the vaccination under the supervision of DOH personnel, Department of Education and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

In June 2016, DOH announced that Central Visayas will be included in the school-based dengue immunization program because of the rising cases of mosquito-borne disease that month reaching 5, 018, as per DOH data.

However, the PHO chief said he would leave the decision over the distribution to the Provincial Board pending the extended study in barangay Guadalupe.

Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. representative, Helen Edubas, assured the public that the agent is safe for use on people aged nine to 45 years old. She pointed out that the company has spent over 20 years of clinical research for the development of the vaccine Dengvaxia.

Edubas added that concerns over possible adverse effects were also addressed in the clinical study.

In 15 countries, at least 40,000 subjects (28,000 of which were children) were tested in 25 clinical trials, she said.

Side Effects

Edubas, however, admitted that patients may experience side effects such as fever, swelling, dizziness and rashes, which are common after vaccination.

“Like any other medicines, there are always relative risks. If the value of the risk falls below one percent, it indicates that the vaccine would provide more benefits,” she said.

She said the vaccine clinical tests showed that risks for people aged nine years old and above to experience side effects is less than one percent which means that the vaccine is safe for use.

The extended clinical study in Guadalupe, Edubas said, is just a post-licensure surveillance following the approval of the vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015.

For the province of Cebu, Gerzon said, at least 103,000 students will be immunized this year with the first round of vaccination that is set to begin next month. (Kelvin Canizares)

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph