IN THE PHILIPPINES, vaccine hesitancy could be attributed to several factors — trypanophobia (intense fear of medical procedures involving needles) and concerns on vaccine safety following the death of 14 children who were injected with Dengvaxia vaccines bought by the Department of Health (DOH) using public funds.
Ten years later, the DOH doesn’t seem to have learned from the Dengvaxia nightmare amid reports on the proliferation of fake anti-rabies vaccines being distributed to the local government units.
If reports are true, there’s no way for Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to find a valid excuse to avoid legal repercussions arising from the procurement of the so-called Purified Chick Embryo Cell Culture Rabies Vaccine (or Vaxirab N for brevity).
A doctor by profession, Herbosa should at the very least be aware that consumption of fake medicines or vaccines pose great risks.
No less than the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has repeatedly issued advisories which emphasized “stern warning” against “purchase and use of counterfeit versions” of Vaxirab N.
The first advisory against the fake Vaxirab N came out on June 4 2024, November 13, 2024 and December 9, 2024. For the current year, the FDA issued a similar advisory against buying, selling, distributing or using Varirab N. These advisories were dated on July 18, August 7, September 29, October 22 and October 28.
Despite these warnings, the DOH went on to procure (using public funds again) Vaxirab N.
For one, there’s nothing wrong with buying anti-rabies vaccines. There’s just one glitch though — “enterprising” people from the DOH mixed fake Vaxirab N in the bulk of supplies being delivered to the LGUs, public hospitals and health centers.
Worse, these “enterprising minions” are pulling one trick after another under Herbosa’s very nose. It makes me wonder whether the Health Secretary is unaware — or just playing dumb.
From the time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed him as Health Secretary, Herbosa has already figured in quite a number of blunders — the expiration of P11.5-billion worth of medicines and vaccines, the two-year lull in the treatment of tuberculosis, PhilHealth zero-subsidy, and ghost health centers, to name a few.
With fake vaccines being mixed in the bulk of legit Vaxirab N, Herbosa should seriously consider seeking divine intercession so that nobody gets killed by the fake anti-rabies vaccines forming part of the supplies they’re distributing.
Assuming nobody gets killed by the fake Vaxirab N, Herbosa would still be liable for violating Republic Act 9711 (Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009) and RA 8203 (Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs).
Amid these blunders, Herbosa should seriously consider the idea of stepping down as Health Secretary. That is if there’s a little decency left under his sleeves.
Herbosa is an intelligent person but let me remind the doctor whom I once admired that resigning doesn’t mean absolution.