Dengue Vaccine Crisis: Fear among Filipinos as vaccine may trigger more severe cases

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A word of caution has come from the manufacturer of the world's first vaccine against Dengue fever. The company says the shot does not protect those who have never suffered from the condition, and may worsen the disease if contracted. It's startling news for hundreds of thousands of Filipino parents - following last year's mass immunization effort by the government. CGTN's Barnaby Lo reports.

After school on a weekday, these children are playing and hanging out with each other as if without a care in the world. But for each one of them, there's a pair of worried parents. That's because their children were vaccinated against the deadly dengue virus, but may ironically be facing the risk of getting severe dengue.

BARNABY LO MANILA The Philippines was the first country in Asia to approve the use of Dengvaxia, the world's first dengue vaccine. Not long after that approval, it was distributed and administered by the government through a school-based immunization program.

Over 700,000 Filipinos, many of them children, received the vaccine over the past year believing it would protect them against dengue. 12-year old Iran Luste got vaccinated just last month, now he is suspected of having dengue.

FE LUSTE GRANDMOTHER OF DENGUE-VACCINATED CHILD There's news on TV that kids should not have been given the dengue vaccine, right Now he has fever that comes and goes. I'm very worried.

Gina Enriquez's 10-year old son had also been recently vaccinated.

GINA ENRIQUEZ MOTHER OF DENGUE-VACCINATED CHILD He had fever yesterday. I told him it's his fault. He insisted on getting vaccinated. His father said, "No, it's the health department's fault."

Indeed it is the government, particularly the one that was led by former President Benigno Aquino III, that has taken much of the blame for its decision to purchase 70 million dollars' worth of Dengvaxia while there were still concerns about the vaccine's safety and efficacy. Now the manufacturer, Sanofi, says only those with a history of dengue infection are protected by the vaccine.

DR. TONY LEACHON PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATE Sanofi voluntarily disclosed that those patients without previous infection - we call it seronegative - might have risk of dying or having severe diseases. And that's really something that you cannot accept. Why Because you sacrificed 700,000 kids in the country.

While an investigation is underway, the current government was quick to clarify that only a small fraction of those who received the vaccine are in danger of developing severe dengue, and that "severe" doesn't mean "deadly. Barnaby Lo, CGTN, Manila.