THE number of dengue cases in the first six months of this year has reached nearly double that recorded during the same period last year.
Based on the latest data from the Department of Health (DOH), 64,797 dengue cases were reported from January 1 to June 25 nationwide this year.
For the same period last year, 34,074 cases were reported, or “90% higher,” the DOH said.
Regions with the highest number of dengue cases are Central Luzon with 9,426 cases (15%), followed by Central Visayas with 7,741 cases (12%), and Zamboanga Peninsula with 5,684 cases (9%).
The DOH said In the most recent one-month period (May 29 to June 25, 2022), 21,115 cases were recorded nationwide.
The regions with the highest number of cases are Central Luzon with 3,902 cases (18%), Central Visayas with 2,316 cases (11%), and Metro Manila with 1,997 cases (9%).
Since January, there have already been 274 deaths caused by the vector-borne disease, or a fatality rate of 0.4 percent.
Dengue is an illness transmitted to people through the bite of an infected aedes species mosquito.
Symptoms of dengue include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, headache, and eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain.
An expert in infectious diseases yesterday maintained that the government should review and reconsider the use of the Dengvaxia vaccine amid the high dengue cases in the country and its potential to become an epidemic.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, during the “Laging Handa” public briefing, maintained that other countries like including those from the Asian region, like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have been using Dengvaxia.
“This vaccine has been licensed with other countries… Here in the Philippines, where the dengue is really very high, we are the ones that do not have this kind of preventive measures. So, I think, it’s high time that, if in case, the government should consider having Dengvaxia, they should review the data, and should review the benefit of this vaccine,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
Solante acknowledged concerns about the use of Dengvaxia — which was blamed for the deaths of children vaccinees in the previous Duterte administration — but said that government should look at the benefits of the vaccine such as its prevention of hospitalization and severe dengue, and consider advisories and guidelines that comes with its use such as administering it only to those who already had dengue and the age group of the beneficiaries, among others.
Dengvaxia was used in an anti-dengue vaccination program in the country in 2016 which involved hundreds of thousands of students. Several children, however, fell ill or died, which some alleged was due to the vaccine.
The Department of Health, however, said there was no solid proof to link the deaths to Dengvaxia.
The vaccine maker, Sanofi Pasteur, later said the vaccine should be given only to those who have already had dengue as it may lead to adverse side effects on those who had not had dengue.
The Food and Drug Authority in 2019 permanently banned Dengvaxia and revoked its certificate of product registration. The DOH upheld the ban which stemmed from Sanofi’s failure to submit post-approval requirements. The DOH ban said “the efficacy of the Dengvaxia itself is not in issue in this case” but concerns “Sanofi’s complete disregard of FDA regulations, which were precisely put in place by law to ensure safety.” — With Jocelyn Montemayor
