Dengue vaccine: Will govt subsidise cost?
“This is an issue of life and death. Dengue can hit you badly in a matter of days. It’s an issue of priority.
“The government should allow its entry and make it available, maybe at a subsidised price,” Santiago told FMT.
Last Friday, the WHO officially endorsed Dengvaxia, the world’s first-ever vaccine for dengue fever, produced by French-based Sanofi Pasteur.
Four countries — Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador and the Philippines — have already licensed Dengvaxia.
The Klang MP said the Health Ministry will have to decide who should get the vaccines.
“Given the recent RM300 million cut in the Health Ministry’s budget, I’m not so sure it’ll make the effort to purchase the vaccines, or even if they do, whether it will subsidise it.
“My view is that it should be given free. But I’m not the government. It has to make that decision.
“What will happen is that the vaccines will be bought by people in private hospitals. Those dependent on government hospitals will not be able to get it. The poor will be jeopardised as always.”
In a TIME report, Joachim Hombach, the senior adviser in WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research, had noted this point as well, saying that setting up a vaccination programme would provide its own set of challenges.
“You need to buy the vaccine and it costs a lot of money.
“You don’t want to be in a situation where you introduce a vaccine and then two years later you say, oops, sorry, we are running out of money and we have to stop this programme,” Joachim said.
Santiago said the vaccine may be good, but the government cannot relax its enforcement.
“It has to ensure breeding places (for dengue mosquitoes) are completely wiped out. Communities must take responsibility and the government must develop greater awareness.”
It was reported that the vaccine needs to be administered in three doses (given every six months) and is only to be given to those aged above nine years.
Development of the vaccine took more than two decades and cost USD1.7 billion.
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