Philippine health regulators are continuing their review of the Japanese-made Qdenga dengue vaccine as questions remain over its safety and effectiveness, particularly among younger children and against a dengue strain common in the country.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are still evaluating available data on Qdenga, also known as TAK-003, despite calls from some health experts to speed up its approval for local use.
Castro said the World Health Organization has already issued recommendations on the vaccine, but Philippine regulators must still determine whether it is safe and suitable for Filipinos based on local conditions.
Citing initial findings from the FDA review, Castro said the vaccine appeared to be less effective among children aged four to five compared to those aged six and above. She also said regulators flagged a possible risk of severe dengue caused by serotype 3 among vaccinated children who had not previously been infected with dengue.
“In our country, dengue serotype 3 is the one that is most commonly spread. So, let us wait for the applicant’s response,” Castro said in Filipino.
Castro said the government must be careful in reviewing any dengue vaccine, given the country’s past experience with dengue immunization and the need to protect public safety.
She also stressed that while the WHO has recommended Qdenga, mosquito control remains the primary defense against dengue transmission.
“In simple terms, if there are no mosquitoes, there is no dengue,” Castro said.
She urged the public to continue observing the DOH’s “4 o’clock Habit,” which encourages households and communities to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites.
Castro said the campaign promotes the regular practice of emptying, shaking out, drying, and covering containers that may collect stagnant water and serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Despite the pending vaccine review, Castro said dengue cases have significantly declined this year. Citing DOH data, she said the country has recorded 48,151 dengue cases so far, down 57 percent from 110,924 cases during the same period last year.
The Palace said the government would continue to rely on scientific evaluation and regulatory safeguards before making any decision on the vaccine’s possible use in the country.