THE Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is urging the Philippine government to consider innovative strategies in a bid to address dengue amid rising cases.
PMA AdHoc Committee on Dengue Advocacy chairperson Doctor Erica Tania Davillo said they will be sending a letter to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., urging him to grant public access to new-generation dengue vaccines.
In the letter, the PMA raised the need for additional measures against dengue aside from the government’s “5S strategy,” including immunization, noting that the said disease remains to be a public health concern with rising cases all year round.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing Qdenga, a second-generation dengue vaccine developed by Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
In a media forum on Tuesday, February 18, Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, expressed concern over the delay of the Qdenga evaluation, noting that such a review being conducted by the FDA usually takes only about a year.
Public reluctance against dengue vaccines in the country arose following the controversies over the Dengvaxia, which was approved by the Philippine government in 2015 and was administered to children.
Several parents blamed the Dengvaxia vaccine for the deaths of their children.
In 2017, manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur admitted that the Dengvaxia vaccine could cause severe symptoms when given to individuals who do not have prior dengue infection, prompting the FDA to suspend its sale and distribution.
From January 1 to February 1, 2025, the Department of Health recorded a total of 28,234 dengue cases, 40 percent higher than the number of cases during the same period in 2024.
The case fatality rate (CFR) stood at 0.35 percent as of February 1, lower than the 0.42 percent CPR in 2024.
The DOH reminded the public to seek early consultation, search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, use self-protection by applying anti-repellent lotions and wearing long sleeves and pants when possible, and support fogging in hotspot areas.
The Quezon City local government earlier declared a dengue outbreak due to the increase in cases, which stood at 200 percent since the beginning of the year.
The health department said it is expecting more localities to declare a dengue outbreak due to the rising cases. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)