Philippines Dengue Vaccine

The World Health Organization said on Monday it hopes to review safety data on Sanofi's dengue vaccine this month, while the Philippines ordered an investigation of its now suspended massive immunization programme after the French drugmaker said it could actually worsen the disease in some cases.

The Philippines on Monday launched the first public immunization program for dengue fever, seeking to administer to a million schoolchildren the world's first licensed vaccine against a mosquito-borne disease that the World Health Organization estimates infects 390 million people a year globally.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, on Wednesday said the Food and Drug Administration of Philippines has granted marketing approval to its Dengvaxia vaccine to be licensed for the prevention of dengue in Asia.

The Philippines became the first Asian country on Tuesday to approve the sale of the world's first-ever dengue vaccine.

The World Health Organization said on Monday it hopes to review safety data on Sanofi's dengue vaccine this month, while the Philippines ordered an investigation of its now suspended massive immunization programme after the French drugmaker said it could actually worsen the disease in some cases.

The Philippines on Monday launched the first public immunization program for dengue fever, seeking to administer to a million schoolchildren the world's first licensed vaccine against a mosquito-borne disease that the World Health Organization estimates infects 390 million people a year globally.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, on Wednesday said the Food and Drug Administration of Philippines has granted marketing approval to its Dengvaxia vaccine to be licensed for the prevention of dengue in Asia.

The Philippines became the first Asian country on Tuesday to approve the sale of the world's first-ever dengue vaccine.