House panel approves budget for Dengvaxia recipients

THE House appropriations committee has approved the bill seeking to utilize a P1.16-billion fund for assistance to nearly 900,000 recipients of Dengvaxia vaccine.

The fund, sourced from the refund made by vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur, will go to the following as proposed by the Department of Health and as approved by the said committee:

• P945,827,530 - medical Assistance for admitted patients and outpatients;
• P78,296,250 - assessment and monitoring of Dengvaxia vaccinees;
• P70,000,000 - supplies and medicine; and
• P67,586,220 - human resource for health deployment.