WATSONS to offer dengue vaccination throughout Philippines: How safe is it? The dengue vaccination (Dengvaxia) will be available in select Watsons stores nationwide. Watsons, a part of the SM Group, is the largest health and beauty chain in the archipelago.
WATSONS FIRST RETAILER TO OFFER THE DENGUE VACCINATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
The dengue vaccination was launched in the country by the Department of Health (DOH) together with the Department of Education (DepEd). The vaccine was made available in medical clinics last year. Watsons is the first retailer to offer it in the Philippine market.
The first vaccine against dengue, Dengvaxia, was created by the multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.
IS THE DENGUE VACCINE SAFE? WHAT DOES THE WHO SAY?
It took more than twenty years to develop the dengue vaccine. It has been thoroughly tested, based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Studies of the vaccine included more than 41,000 people and were carried out in 15 countries including the Philippines.
The results were fully reviewed by a committee of independent experts and has also been recommended by WHO.
A NEW STUDY PREDICTS POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
However, new analysis suggests dengue, aka “breakbone fever” because of the painful achiness its sufferers endure, should really only be used in two scenarios:
- In places where there is a lot of dengue activity.
- In places where most children who receive it will have already had at least one bout of the disease.
The study, from the journal Science, stated that data from the studies used to approve the vaccine, Dengvaxia, showed a higher rate of hospitalizations for dengue three years after vaccination in young children who got the vaccine when compared to children who were not vaccinated.
INCREASED RISK FROM THE VACCINE?
The increased risk, the study authors and others have said, appears to be for children who had no previous dengue infections when they were vaccinated — in scientific terms, children who were seronegative.
“Our current estimates indicate that in all but the highest-transmission settings, use of this vaccine may lead to an increase in the risk of hospitalization for dengue in seronegative recipients even if the overall impact of vaccination is positive,” wrote the authors, from Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Florida.
THE PREDICTION
The study’s authors make the following prediction:
“We predict routine vaccination will cause, at most, moderate … reductions in disease incidence, so it is important to set realistic expectations of impact for the policy makers and populations of countries likely to implement such policies.”
FOUR TYPES OF DENGUE VIRUSES
The study reports there are four different dengue viruses, named dengue 1 through dengue 4.
Once you’ve been infected with one virus, it’s generally assumed you cannot contract that type again.
But immunity to one of the viruses does not protect against the others.
Having had one type of dengue increases your risk of having severe illness if you have a second infection.
The most severe form of dengue — dengue hemorrhagic fever — can be fatal.
There has always been a concern that a dengue vaccine would increase the risk of severe disease, not lower it. And the studies Sanofi did to support its licensure bid for Dengvaxia seem to suggest that may be the case in young children who have not yet had dengue. The increased hospitalizations occurred in children between the ages of 2 and 5.
(All graphic sources: Watsons)
DOH AND DepEd PLAN NATIONWIDE VACCINATION PROGRAM
While the above-mentioned study does mention some possible pitfalls with the dengue vaccine, in the Philippines, the DOH together with DepEd launched the much-awaited administration of the dengue vaccine through a school-based immunization approach.
This aims to vaccinate about one million Grade 4 pupils aged 9 years old and above enrolled in public schools in several regions of the country.1
As of February 2017, the vaccine has been approved in 14 countries where dengue is endemic including Singapore, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines.
According to a study by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health, the vaccine is expected to reduce dengue cases in the country by over 24 percent in a span of five years. 2
There were more than 200,000 reported dengue cases in the country in 2016 with around 1000 reported cases leading to death. 3
The dengue vaccination, to be taken in three doses at 0 – 6 – 12 months interval, can protect the individual from all four strains of the dengue virus. This can be administered to people aged 9 to 45 years old.
THE COST
The dengue vaccination offered by Watsons will cost P4000 (80 US Dollars) per dose or P12000 (240 US Dollars) for all 3 doses.
Watson claims this is a reasonable price given the high incidence of dengue and high cost of treatment in the Philippines.
The first scheduled dengue vaccination will be on April 30, 2017 (1st dose), October 29, 2017 (2nd dose) and April 29, 2018 (3rd dose); second scheduled dengue vacation will be on May 14, 2017 (1st dose), November 12, 2017 (2nd dose), May 13, 2018 (3rd dose). This will be available in more than 100 stores nationwide.
1 Ph Succesfully Launched The First Dengue Vaccines In Public Schools http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/5716
2 World’s first dengue vaccine now available in PH http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/02/11/dengue-vaccine-Dengvaxia-Philippines.html
3 WHO, 2016 Dengue Fact Sheet: DOH Epidemiological Bureau Morbidity Week 52
(Source: Watsons story: Daily Guardian Iloilo “Is it safe?” STAT News)
MY ASAWA’S BOUT WITH DENGUE
My own asawa, “The Sainted Patient Wife”, had her own bout with dengue fever back in December 2015. Are we going to avail of the new dengue vaccination? Possibly. The dengue vaccination is touted as a form of safe, effective and affordable means for dengue control specifically for ages 9-45.
But since my better half has already had one type of dengue, which increases her risk of having a more severe illness if she has a second infection, it might prove beneficial for her to get the vaccination. We both are over 45 years of age but I think having my wife undergo the vaccination program would make good sense.
While PhilHealth covered the cost of my spouse’s hospitalization, I could find no current plans for them to cover the cost of dengue dengue vaccinations. The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. was not yet considering providing dengue vaccine coverage to the more than 89 million Filipinos enrolled in (PhilHealth) mainly because of the hefty price tag.
I could not read where Watsons was putting an age limit to those wanting to receive the vaccination. I doubt that they would refuse the total 12,000 pesos needed for the three shots if the request came from a crusty old expat. We’ll see.
