Pharma Tells Philippines To Lift Nationwide Vaccine Ban

This following health officials in the country lashing out over the vaccine placing potentially 700,000 kids at risk of contracting dengue fever. The Philippines made the decision to ban the vaccine following Sanofi’s warning that the administration of the vaccine could cause those who’d not previously been infected with dengue “severe” symptoms.

Fearing the spawning of an outbreak, health officials immediately banned the use of the vaccine nationwide. And now this unprecedented maneuver has prompted Sanofi to issue a request that the vaccine is re-approved. Sanofi claims the Philippines are doing a “disservice” to the public at large.

“That will be a regression in the country’s approach in solving a major public health concern and a disservice to the Filipino people,” Thomas Triomphe, Sanofi Pasteur’s head of Asia-Pacific, said at a Senate hearing.

“Doing so would in effect leave 90 percent of the population at the mercy of an epidemic which has been found to be preventable,” Triomphe also stated.

Back in November, Sanofi released its finding that the dengue vaccine could have severe reactions in those who have never been exposed to dengue. 830,000 school children were given the vaccine.