Duque defends Aquino admin over Dengue vaccine mess

The Aquino administration’s move to use Dengvaxia in its dengue vaccination program was an outcome of a wrong recommendation, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Friday at the Provincial Dengue Summit in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga.

Duque was quoted as saying in a Balitanghali ‘s report, “I think this was rushed by the previous administration, they did not wish for it to bring harm, and that President Aquino was given a wrong advisory.”

However, Duque added that if he was the health chief during that time, he would not have implemented the vaccination program to the 830,000 public school students.

“I always say that if I am the secretary of the DOH before, I would not allow vaccinating such large number of students. It is always good to err on the side of caution. I don’t mind erring, as long as it’s on the safe side, especially that the children’s lives are at stake,” Duque said.

He also stressed that this problem should serve as a lesson so that it will never happen again.

(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 01/ 19 / 18)