Team DailyPedia
MANILA, Philippines The groundbreaking dengue vaccine will finally be available in the Philippine market next week.
According to Department of Health (DOH) chief Janet Garin, the Philippines is the only country where the three phases of the clinical trials were conducted. Garin says it’s a reflection of how good Filipino researchers are.
For the dengue vaccine, the government has allocated P3 billion in the 2016 budget.
The Philippines was given a discount by an executive of the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur during the APEC Summit in November 2015. In addition, President Benigno Aquino III was given an additional 34% discount during the 21st Conference of Parties in France.
Despite the discounts, the vaccine is expected to be expensive since only one company is manufacturing it.
Garin revealed that part of the sales of dengue vaccine to private patients will be used to fund government beneficiaries, who are Grade 4 to Grade 5 students aged nIen to 10 years old, the usual dengue victims.
The dengue vaccine is recommended for individuals from nine to 45 years old. The DOH advised against the use of the vaccines for people above 45 years old as there would be other interactions.
Garin explained, “The safety has not been established that well if you inject it above 45 years old… That is why we want to play on the safe side.”
Majority of dengue cases documented in the country occur in the National Capital Region (NCR), Region III and Region IV-A.
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