SENATE PRESIDENT Aquilino L. Pimentel III on Sunday urged the Department of Health (DoH) to demand a full refund of the P3.5-billion contract with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur over the Dengvaxia vaccines, instead of asking for reimbursements from unused vaccines.

“All the vaccines were defective from the very beginning. Therefore, under our laws, we should demand the whole P3.5 billion we paid them and not just part of it,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Pimentel ‘s remarks came two days after the DoH demanded a P1.4-billion refund from Sanofi Pasteur over the government’s unused Dengvaxia vaccines.

The DoH had also asked the vaccine manufacturer to conduct serotesting “at no cost to the government” in order to determine the pre-vaccination status of over 830,000 children who received the Dengvaxia vaccine under the anti-dengue immunization program.

Acknowledging the Health department’s request, Sanofi Pasteur in a statement mentioned that its officials had requested for a meeting with Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III regarding the matter.

Mr. Pimentel said the Civil Code of the Philippines indicated that a defective product could be replaced or refunded.

“Since there is no possible replacement for the vaccine, refund is the only option,” he said.

Mr. Pimentel added that even if Sanofi Pasteur reimburses the full amount, it does not release them from any liabilities that could arise from putting at risk the children vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

The DoH had suspended the immunization program following Sanofi Pasteur’s analysis that the Dengvaxia vaccine may pose health risks for those vaccinated without having dengue.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is investigating the previous administration’s alleged “hasty” procurement of Dengvaxia vaccines.

Amid reports of dengue deaths among children after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia, the DoH has yet to conclude that the deaths were related to the vaccine, pending an investigation by both the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). — Camille A. Aguinaldo

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