Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque is urging lawmakers to allow the use of the refund money for unused Dengvaxia vials in the campaign against dengue.
Duque is asking Senate and the House of Representatives to allow the DOH to spend the money on the purchase of anti-dengue kits such as insect repellants and multi-vitamins.
The health secretary is referring to the P 1.1-billion worth of payment Sanofi Pasteur made after the DOH returned the unused vaccines.
The vials were returned to the drug manufacturer in January this year.
Today, Duque inspected the patients who received shots of Dengvaxia and showed symptoms of dengue.
He went to Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) and East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City.
Out of the 68 suspected cases of dengue in EAMC, three patients were injected with Dengvaxia.
49 of the patients have been discharged.