A vaccine expert on Tuesday urged the public to consider vaccination as a key measure to combat the rising dengue cases in the country.

During the launch of the END Dengue Coalition in Ortigas, Pasig, Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, advocated for the use of QDENGA, a vaccine designed to meet the World Health Organization (WHO)'s guidelines for second-generation dengue vaccines.

The vaccine, which posts a 80.2 percent effectivity rate, can be administered to adults, adolescents, and children as young as four years old. According to the European Medicines Agency, it has also been shown to reduce hospitalization due to dengue by 90 percent.

Bravo, however, acknowledged the public fear surrounding dengue vaccines, stemming from the Dengvaxia controversy nearly a decade ago.

"The first try had we had for a dengue vaccination became chaotic. That also significantly impacted the public's reaction on vaccines," she said.

In 2015, the Philippines became the first Asian country to approve the sale of the world's first-ever dengue vaccine—Dengvaxia.

However, in 2017, controversy arose when Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine’s manufacturer, announced that Dengvaxia could lead to severe symptoms in individuals who had never been infected with dengue before vaccination.

As a result, the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the suspension of Dengvaxia’s sale, distribution, and marketing and required its withdrawal from the market.

Still, Bravo backed the Japan-manufactured QDENGA, which she said "went through nine years of research."

She reiterated that vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to fight the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

"The WHO recommended that for highly endemic countries, such as the Philippines, to use effective ways such as vaccines. Vaccination for dengue is one of them," Bravo, who was one of the investigators of QDENGA, reiterated in Filipino.

Bravo also noted that several Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, have already introduced vaccines to combat dengue.

The European Union has also authorized the use of QDENGA, arguing that its "benefits are greater than its risks."

QDENGA has already applied for a certificate of product registration from the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said in 2024 that QDENGA "may be approved anytime," yet, the FDA has not yet granted certification.

"We are appealing to the [Department of Health] (DOH) to bring the vaccine here because there are Filipinos who need it. We have the right to protect ourselves," Bravo said.

She emphasized that the dengue vaccine will not be mandatory and will instead be introduced "slowly."

"This is for only those who want it and we don't need to vaccinate many people, only those who want it and if others see its good effect, then maybe we can encourage them to take the vaccine as well," Bravo added.

Latest data from the DOH showed a sharp increase in dengue cases, with 28,234 reported as of 1 February, a 40 percent rise from the same period last year.

From January to November 2024, the Philippines has logged 881 dengue-related deaths, continuing to be the number one in Southeast Asia in terms of dengue cases and deaths consistently in the past years up to the present.

The disease poses significant economic burden, with at least P2-billion allocation by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation every year for dengue hospitalization.