FRENCH pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur declined anew the request by the Department of Health (DoH) for a refund of the used vials of the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia and an indemnity fund for children who were inoculated with the drug. Refunding the used doses of Dengvaxia would imply that the vaccine is ineffective, which is not the case. The pharmaceutical firm also reminded that no vaccine offered absolute protection and said that even Dengvaxia did not have 100 percent efficacy in its approved label. In the same letter, Duque said the department would invoke the provisions of the Civil Code if Sanofi would insist against refunding the full amount. Or the government would buy fewer doses or would not buy the vaccine at all if there were a full disclosure on the vaccine,” Duque told reporters.

Source: Manila Times February 19, 2018 03:45 UTC