Exclusive: Philippines defied experts' advice in pursuing dengue immunization program
Source: Reuters
#WORLD NEWS DECEMBER 10, 2017 / 12:53 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Tom Allard, Karen Lema
MANILA (Reuters) - As she announced in January 2016 that the Philippines would immunize one million children with a new dengue vaccine, the nation’s then health secretary Janette Garin boasted it was a world-first and a tribute to her country’s “expertise” in research.
At the time, it seemed the Philippines could be on the cusp of a breakthrough to combat a potentially lethal tropical virus that had been endemic in large parts of the Southeast Asian nation for decades.
Almost two years later, the program lies in tatters and has been suspended after Sanofi Pasteur, a division of French drug firm Sanofi, said at the end of last month the vaccine itself may in some cases increase the risk of severe dengue in recipients not previously infected by the virus.
Documents reviewed by Reuters that have not been disclosed until now, as well as interviews with local experts, show that key recommendations made by a Philippines Department of Health (DOH) advisory body of doctors and pharmacologists were not heeded before the program was rolled out to 830,000 children.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sanofi-dengue-philippines/exclusive-philippines-defied-experts-advice-in-pursuing-dengue-immunization-program-idUSKBN1E40RR?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
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rushing new medical treatments out to the public is generally not a good idea. Although, of course, properly designed and tested vaccines are good.
Didn't a bill become law in the U.S. within the last couple of years to allow drug cos. to get drugs to market faster? IIRC, important safeguards and testing were reduced. If so, expect similar medical disasters to happen more frequently in the U.S. Big $$$$$ to lawmakers no doubt played a part.
