1 million students from 6,000 public schools to begin dengue vaccinations this year
The first public dengue immunisation programme has started in the Philippines. Reportedly, the public immunisation programme will begin vaccinating one million students from 6,000 public schools this year in three highly dengue-endemic regions of the country. Dengvaxia, Sanofi Pasteur’s tetravalent dengue vaccine, was made available for private sector vaccination in the Philippines in February, informed a company release.
Dengvaxia was approved for use in individuals 9-45 years of age for the prevention of dengue fever caused by all four serotypes on December 22, 2015 in the Philippines. The vaccine’s anticipated impact on dengue burden is expected to stem from its documented ability to prevent 8 out of 10 dengue hospitalisations and up to 93 per cent of severe dengue that includes haemorrhagic dengue fever that can be fatal in vaccinated study participants 9 years and older.
Olivier Charmeil, Executive VP, Sanofi Pasteur, said, “The Philippines’ scientific and healthcare communities have been important collaborators in the development of Dengvaxia participating in all three phases of the clinical study program that involved over 40,000 individuals from 15 countries. Ensuring access to this approved vaccine in a public immunisation programme attests to the Filipino health authority’s commitment to add this new dengue prevention tool to their integrated disease management strategy for a disease that continues to represent a major public health threat to their country.”
Dr Cecilia Montalban, President of The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, said, “This first dengue vaccine has been developed and proven effective in countries like the Philippines where dengue is a major public health priority. As a physician and a mother, I am proud that my country plays a historic role in dengue prevention.”