(Eagle News) — The Public Attorneys Office and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption on Monday filed cases against several individuals including former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the Dengvaxia mess.
The administrative cases against Garin, Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go, among others were filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
The P4-million civil case against those who spearheaded the dengue vaccination program and members of the board of directors and officials of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur and distributor Zuellig Pharma, among others, was filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
“Dito po sa civil action? Meron pa pong John Doe dito kasi hinahanap pa namin ‘yung mga dokumento…,” PAO chief Persida Acosta said.
She said the civil case was filed on behalf of Anjielica Pestilos, who contracted severe dengue after being administered the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Over 800,000 schoolchildren were given the controversial vaccine under the national government’s dengue vaccination program that began during the term of then-President Benigno Aquino III.
Sanofi Pasteur has refused to reimburse the P3.5 billion the government spent for the vaccines, noting that there was no direct causal relation between use of the vaccine and death.
“Agreeing to refund the used doses of Dengvaxia would imply that the vaccine is ineffective, which is not the case,” Sanofi had said in a statement.
It cited the results of the study done by the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital panel on the 14 children who were administered the vaccine.
It said the panel concluded that “there is no evidence directly linking the Dengvaxia® vaccine to any of the 14 deaths.”
“Sanofi Pasteur has always followed the highest ethical standards and should there be any case of injury due to dengue that has been demonstrated by credible scientific evidence to be causally related to vaccination, we will assume responsibility,” the company said.