BAGUIO CITY—The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) stressed that when the anti-dengue vaccine becomes available in the country, children and adults should get the shots to curb the high number of infections that have claimed hundreds of lives.

According to Dr. Nina Gloriani, a specialist in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, the Philippines has the highest number of dengue cases and dengue-related deaths in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She stated that from January 2023 to January 2024, the country recorded 195,603 cases, while Vietnam had 166,619 and Thailand had 139,719.

Gloriani, the former Dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Public Health and former Chair of the Department of Science and Technology Vaccine Expert Panel for COVID-19, disclosed that as of 16 November 2024, the country had recorded 340,860 confirmed cases and cases under investigation. She said this represents an 81 percent increase compared to 2023, with 881 dengue-related deaths.

PPS North Luzon Chapter President Dr. Amelen Palanca said that dengue is one of the top five deadliest diseases in the world. She emphasized that the matter should be dealt with utmost seriousness. "We in the PPS are partnering with the government in initiating measures in the war against dengue."

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2023, there were 5 million cases worldwide, with over 5,000 deaths in more than 30 countries.

Gloriani said that in the battle against the deadly disease, it is best for the country to embrace the latest generation of the dengue vaccine. She noted that several countries, including Brazil and Argentina in Latin America and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, have already implemented dengue immunization as part of their public health programs.

According to Gloriani, there are two generations of anti-dengue vaccines worldwide. The first is the Live Attenuated Vaccine with the Yellow Fever Virus as the backbone, which was previously licensed in the Philippines but is no longer available since 2019. This vaccine is licensed in 29 countries, including the U.S. and Singapore. The second generation is the Live Attenuated Vaccine with the dengue virus as the backbone, which is licensed in more than 40 countries in Europe, America, and Asia.

Palanca acknowledged that there are hesitations, noting that physicians also have doubts. She said that, like other vaccines for various diseases, there are possible side effects. However, the main benefit—immunizing people against deadly diseases like dengue—is a better option than doing nothing at all.

Gloriani said that Filipinos do not want the country to be number one in terms of the highest number of cases. "We should let the children and adults be immunized against dengue once the vaccine is available," she said.