Sanofi Pasteur rejects health dep’t request for refund on used dengue vaccine

February 19, 2018

French drug company Sanofi Pasteur Monday remained firm in denying the request of the Department of Health (DOH) that the firm refund nearly P2 billion for used Dengvaxia doses and establish an indemnification fund for those given dengue vaccine shots.

In a statement, the manufacturers of Dengvaxia said: " As we did in our previous reply to the DOH on 5 February, 2018, we respectfully declined both requests."

The firm said this is because they continue to stand by the efficacy of the controversial dengue vaccine.

"We stand firmly behind our product. Refunding the used doses of Dengvaxia would imply that the vaccine is ineffective, which is not the case," said the company.

"And at this time, there is also no known circumstance requiring indemnification," added Sanofi.

Sanofi renewed its offer to the health department to find how they can work in helping vaccinated children.

"We also again made very clear our willingness to sitting down with the Department of Health to find other ways we can assist their efforts to combat dengue in the Philippines and restoring public trust in vaccines," said Sanofi.

More than 830,000 children have been injected with Dengvaxia under the DOH's school-based dengue vaccination program, which began in 2016.

Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo said the DOH is set to file a civil case against Sanofi over their refusal to provide refund for the used dengue vaccine.

"Initially, it will be a civil case on the basis that what they really sold us is a defective product. It’s not the product that they promised it to be," said Domingo in an interview.

"They sold it to us saying it is going to be good to everybody, that they can use it for all children. And after two years, they tell us that it is not. So there’s an inherent problem in the product that they sold us," he added.

"If we find any further evidence, it might lead to a criminal case because we believe that there have been some misrepresentation on the side of Sanofi," said Domingo. DMS