Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president and Quirino governor Dax Cua urged the government to procure a new dengue vaccine to help address the continued rise in dengue cases in the country.
“We are facing an alarming rise in dengue cases already. It is high-time we procure the vaccines that could help prevent Filipino children from being infected with dengue,” Cua said.
The Department of Health reported that there are 208,965 dengue cases in the Philippines from January to September 6.
The figure is 68 percent higher than the 124,157 infections reported in the same period last year.
All regions except Mimaropa, Bicol, Zamboanga peninsula and Bangsamoro showed an increase in dengue cases from Aug. 4 to 17, the DOH noted.
The health department also noted a 25-percent increase in cases in August compared to July.
“Cases are on an uptrend, showing a 25-percent increase from Aug. 4 to 17, with 36,335 from 29,021 cases reported from July 21 to Aug. 3,” the DOH said in a statement.
All regions except Mimaropa, Bicol, Zamboanga peninsula and Bangsamoro showed an increase in dengue cases from Aug. 4 to 17, the DOH further noted.
Cua urged the Food and Drug administration to quickly act on the certificate of product registration for the QDENGA vaccine of the Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which the company applied for last year.
“I am sure that the FDA is only being prudent to ensure that the QDENGA vaccine will be safe for our children. But at the same time, we have to recognize the urgency of the matter as more and more children are endangered because of dengue, that’s why I hope that the FDA announces the results of its study as soon as possible,” Cua said.
Cua also emphasized the need to rectify people’s behavior towards vaccines.
“The scare over dengue vaccines in the past has turned out to be unfounded, but the negative effect that vaccine hesitancy has had on our overall vaccination efforts is still being felt today,” he said.
A steep decline of public trust in vaccines due to the Dengvaxia controversy has since led to a measles outbreak and the resurgence of polio in 2019, the governor said.
“Panahon na para labanan ang misinformation tungkol sa mga bakuna, na sa halip na magdadala ng panganib ay talagang mabisa sa pagkontra ng sakit,” he added.
A UNICEF study in 2022 noted that the Philippines ranks fifth in the world in terms of the number of children who have not received a single dose of common childhood vaccines.
An expert panel from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital in 2018 found that the deaths of 14 children inoculated with Dengvaxia were “totally not related to the vaccine” except for two cases, which may have been because of vaccine failure.
