MANILA — The Public Attorney's Office said it opposes health experts' call for a second look at the Dengvaxia vaccine amid an outbreak of the disease in several regions.

On Monday, Dr. Rontgene Solante, a member of the Vaccine Experts Panel of the Department of Science and Technology, said it was "high time" for government to review the data and benefits of the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana, a member of the Department of Health 's Technical Advisory Group, on Tuesday also said the government should use everything at its disposal, including the Dengavaxia vaccine, to combat the spike in dengue cases.

• Govt urged to use all tools in preventing rising dengue cases, including Dengvaxia

But PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, maintained that the dengue vaccine has not been proven safe, and that its registration certificates had been revoked by regulators.

"Hindi napatunayan na safe 'yang bakuna na 'yan, na marami nga pong namatay," she told TeleRadyo.

Acosta claimed 166 deaths were linked to the vaccine, developed by French drugmaker Sanofi Pasteur. This is according to the autopsy findings of PAO's forensics team, she added.

Dr. Erwin Erfe, chief of PAO's forensic laboratory division, said the Dengvaxia vaccine could cause adverse effects including severe dengue.

"Lahat po itong patterns na ito ay nakita namin sa mga namatay na 166 at doon sa 2 na naka-survive," he said. "Kaya very dangerous po itong proposition na sinasabi ni Dr. [Rontgene] Solante at Dr. [Janette] Garin."

Dr. Tony Leachon, a health reform advocate, also said he is not keen on re-evaluating the use of the Dengvaxia vaccine.

• Expert thumbs down push to re-evaluate use of Dengvaxia

In a public briefing on Tuesday, Salvana however noted that the Dengvaxia vaccine is used in several countries, including the United States and Singapore, and that the Philippines is the only country that has revoked the vaccine's certificate.

"In fact tayo lang ang nagtanggal ng certificate of product registration," said Salvana.

He added that he sees no issue with Dengvaxia except the "PR nightmare."

Dengue cases across 15 regions have spiked compared to last year.

A total of 64,797 dengue cases were reported from January 1 to June 25, according to the DOH's latest national dengue data as of June 25.

• Philippines' dengue cases nearly double versus last year

The Philippines in 2016 became the first nation to use Dengvaxia in a mass immunization program. Some 830,000 children received the vaccine.

But controversy arose after Sanofi disclosed a year later that it could worsen symptoms for people not previously infected by the dengue virus.

Some parents alleged the vaccine killed their children, with PAO filing 157 criminal cases against former health officials over the controversial vaccination program as of December 2020.

Salvana meanwhile said the public is reminded that Dengvaxia can only be administered to persons who have had at least one dengue infection.

He added that tests can now be conducted to see if prospective recipients of Dengvaxia already had the disease before.

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