MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine secretary of health on Friday blasted the cases filed against him in connection with the controversial anti-dengue immunization implemented during the previous administration as “malicious and oppressive.”
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the case filed against him along with more than 30 respondents by the Public Attorney’s Office was counterproductive and was prejudicial to the best interests of the service.
“The case filed by the Public Attorney's Office is malicious and oppressive,” Duque said in a statement, adding that he will face the “baseless” allegations against him.
He also stressed that the Department of Health would continue to attend to the health concerns of children inoculated with Dengvaxia, the anti-dengue vaccine developed by the French firm Sanofi Pasteur.
Duque also said that the gaps in the vaccination program and other health programs of the DOH would be addressed.
He also said that pronouncements by the PAO on the controversy could also negatively impact the government’s immunization programs and may contribute to the outbreak of diseases preventable by vaccination.
Thousands of parents in the Philippines became worried after Sanofi announced in November 2017 that the vaccine could result in a more severe type of infection for those who had not yet contracted the disease.
The Philippine congress has launched investigations into the controversy, with a Senate draft panel report pinning the blame on former President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet secretaries.
The mass vaccination program was implemented during Aquino’s time and the shot was given to more than 800,000 children.
The program approved during Aquino’s time was school-based vaccination but this was expanded by President Rodrigo Duterte’s first health secretary, Pauline Ubial, to a community-based program.
Ubial was not included in the complaint filed by Acosta.
"After Sanofi announced that Dengvaxia poses additional risks to seronegative recipients, I immediately suspended the program," Duque said referring to patients who received the vaccine despite having no history of the virus.
Acosta filed the case on behalf of the parents of Abbie Hedia, 13, who died due to septic shock, viral encephalitis, acute gastroenteritis and severe dehydration.
She received her shot on Nov. 17, 2017 and died in February 2018.