Girl in C. Luzon contracted dengue only at least 20 months after vaccine administration, Duque says
(Eagle News) – Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Friday raised the possibility Dengvaxia was not effective in the first place, following the discovery of a girl in Central Luzon who contracted the virus even before the 30-month protection the vaccine was supposed to provide had lapsed.
“If you start counting from March 16 (last year, when the vaccination program started under the Aquino administration) to when we found the case this week, that’s 20 months. That’s a far cry from the 30 months they were saying,” Duque said, referring to the vaccine manufacturer Sanofi.
He said this was even assuming that the girl contracted dengue as a result of the first vaccination and not the third.
“If you were to take the last date of vaccination, that’s a cause of concern,” Duque said.
Asked categorically if the effectivity of the vaccine was put into question then, Duque said, “Most certainly.”
He said this was something the government should ask Sanofi.
Fortunately, Duque said the girl in Central Luzon, who experienced a low platelet count reaching only 24,000—the normal levels being from 150,000 to 450,000—and hypotension, recovered after he was treated by doctors from a Department of Health hospital.
He said the government was still validating another case in Cebu.
The Dengvaxia snafu started when Sanofi admitted last week that “severe cases” could occur in those who were administered the vaccine but did not contract the dengue virus beforehand.
In its defense, the French drug manufacturer said the new information came to light only in recent studies.
Sanofi had added that the vaccine–which was procured by the Aquino administration–provides a 30-month protection against dengue, regardless of whether or not the person administered with such had dengue before.