Health News: The World’s First Dengue Vaccine Has Officially Arrived in the Philippines

The long wait is finally over. After delivering the good news last month, this medical breakthrough has officially arrived in the country yesterday, February 11, 2016.

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In fact, the Philippines is the first country in Asia to approve the world’s first Dengue vaccine. Moreover, Department of Health confirmed that most dengue cases are from the NCR, Region 3, and Region 4-A.

Sanofi Dengue vaccine

The vaccine is called Dengvaxia and is manufactured by Sanofi. As mentioned in the Manila Bulletin report, the Philippine medical societies welcomed the first batch of the tetravalent dengue vaccine as it was launched in Parañaque City yesterday.

Here are the medical societies that welcomed the arrival of Dengvaxia vaccine:

  • The Philippine Pediatric Society, with its sub-speciality societies
  • The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination
  • Pediatricatic Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines
  • Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious diseases

The said vaccine is stored in an advanced facility of the Zuellig Pharma Corporation.

Additionally, the government has already set P3 billion in the 2016 budget for the dengue vaccine and will give it to children 9-10 years old since they are the usual patients of Dengue.

Furthermore, Health Secretary Garin said that President Benigno Aquino III has approved the provision of dengue vaccine to 1,077,623 9-year old Filipino students who are currently enrolled in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon (Region III), and Calabarzon (Region IV-A) areas.

Personally, I find this beneficial for everyone, especially the people who cannot afford hospitalization. I am hoping that the approved provision of dengue vaccine to 1.7 million children will push through.

What can you about this news? Do you think this will lessen the dengue cases moving forward?