Janette Garin points to Paulyn Ubial for Dengvaxia deaths

MANILA, Philippines — Former health secretary Janette Garin has dragged her successor, Paulyn Jean Ubial, in the criminal charges over the deaths of school children who received the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.

While facing preliminary investigation in the Department of Justice in a string of charges over the deaths of at least 17 children, Garin filed last Monday a complaint against Ubial for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

After earlier denying charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and violations of the Anti-Torture Act and Consumer Act, Garin pinned the blame on Ubial and sought her successor’s criminal indictment.

Garin claimed that Ubial should be the one prosecuted by the DOJ because it was she who decided to shift the dengue immunization program from being school-based to community-based, which contributed to the deaths of children administered the vaccine.

She said the shift to community-based immunization weakened the screening and monitoring mechanisms that were set in place during her tenure.

“Community-based immunization is prone to abuse by local politicians who use it as a political tool to facilitate access to free vaccines for their constituents who are unqualified,” read the complaint.

Ubial said that contrary to the claim of Garin, she consulted with an expert panel before expanding to community-based anti-dengue program.

When the Department of Health (DOH) implemented the program, she said, Dengvaxia was a licensed vaccine, assumed to be safe and effective.

Ubial said congressmen from Cebu requested that the excess vaccines be used in Central Visayas region.

“I did not agree readily but consulted an expert panel and they agreed to expand,” Ubial pointed out.

Ubial said there was also due consultation prior to the community-based implementation.

Families of 17 schoolchildren who died allegedly due to the Dengvaxia vaccine earlier filed charges against Garin and 36 other health officials as well as executives of manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and distributor Zuellig Pharma Corp. 

All 17 complaints did not include Ubial among the respondents as the Public Attorney’s Office said she would be used as a witness in the prosecution of the cases. – With Mayen Jaymalin