Join the "Be a Wall" campaign : Vaccination drive against dengue #WallAgainstDengue

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The “Be a Wall” campaign  and Vaccination drive against dengue, launch by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of multinational pharmaceutical company and industry leader, Sanofi. 

Dengue remains to be one of the fastest-growing mosquito-borne diseases in the world.

The “Be a Wall” campaign to mobilize the citizenry in a nation-wide campaign against the spread of dengue was launched  aims to build awareness among Filipinos parents and inform them how they can better protect themselves and their loved ones against the fastest-growing mosquito borne disease. 

It also aims to educate them about the multi-pronged ways to prevent dengue infection – vector-control, disease information and vaccination.

The Be a Wall campaign engage Filipinos by inviting them to connect, share their experience, ask questions, and join a community that’s building the nation’s resistance against dengue. 

It aims to remind them of their role to step up the fight against the disease and to get involved by taking an active part in health matters that affect them and their families. 

Dengvaxia is the world’s first dengue vaccine. It provides protection against all four virus serotypes. It has been approved for people belonging to the age group 9-45 years.

Celebrities, doctors and medical people, media and bloggers and advocates were at the "Be a Wall" campaign launch held at the Novotel Hotel, Araneta, Cubao Quezon City on October 25, 2016. 

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Christine Bersola-Babao, Paolo Abrera, Mommy Mel and her daughter Rika with Dr. Rubi Dizon who is the Medical Director of Sanofi and Dr. Lulu Bravo President of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, stand out to to build a wall against Dengue.

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Multi-awarded Actress, Columnist, Award-winning Author and Triathlete, share her experience on dengue as she had twice. The first was when she was six years old and the second time when she was already married.

“As responsible Filipino moms, let our voices be heard to raise awareness on dengue and let’s spread the good news that it is now a vaccine preventable disease. Each of us can now be a wall against dengue,” Maricel said.

Paolo Abrera, sports and public affairs host, share his own story as when he got the virus, he was down and out for a number of days and this surprised him as it hit him at the peak of his health when he was so active in sports.

“It’s great news that there is a dengue vaccine now available in the market. As a public affairs anchor, I’m on top of the news everyday and it’s very alarming to note the rising dengue cases from different regions of our country. It’s definitely a relief for Filipino parents out there especially a father like me to be able to visit our doctors today and have our kids vaccinated,” Paulo said.

Christine Bersola-Babao, Celebrity mom,  shared she had dengue three times! She also expresses her support for the dengue vaccine.

“I am a mother of two and I want my kids (family) to be safe from life-threatening diseases like dengue. Aside from the vector control measures that we have been doing, we really need a new tool that will help us in fighting the epidemic and vaccination is the answer. I encourage other Filipino moms to ask their doctors about dengue vaccination today,” she shared.

The Philippines ranks among the top-three countries affected by Dengue.

Cebu City, for example, has just declared a state of calamity with over 5,821 dengue cases recorded as of October 2016. Other areas considered as the most infected hotspots include Metro Manila or NCR, Region IV-A or CALABARZON, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Central Luzon, and Western Visayas.

Join “Be a Wall” campaign for the health of our families and love ones and all. Get vaccinated too.  Visit your doctor to know what you can do so we can all be a #WallAgainstDengue.

Sanofi Pasteur Presents Updates and Truth About the Dengue Vaccine

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Sanofi Pasteur, the world leader in human vaccines, recently presents updates and truth about Dengvaxia, known as Dengue Vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur has invested in the research and development of a dengue vaccine for about 20 years.

Dengue is a high-profile and ongoing public health concern in the Philippines. During the press conference on Friday, October 21, held at The Dusit Thani Manila Hotel, Makati City, Sanofi Pasteur, presents full data and updates on dengue.

Dengue cases rose to epidemic levels in 2015 with an average of 220 reported cases per day.

The first known epidemic of severe dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever anywhere in the world was recorded in Manila in 1953.

By the mid-1970s, severe dengue had become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in the region. Between 2004 and 2010, the Philippines experienced the seventh highest number of dengue cases in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

2016 data suggests an increasing trend in reported dengue cases

In 2013, DOH reported 204,906 cases of dengue, the highest number recorded since the establishment of the National Dengue Prevention and Control Program in 1993. More than 200,000 dengue cases were reported in the Philippines in 2015, 80,000 more than were reported in 2014. In both September and October 2015, the number of reported cases rose above the epidemic threshold. 

Although the number of reported dengue cases slightly decreased in 2014, the 2015 data suggest an increasing trend in cases in the coming years. Recent data gathered by the Department of Health from January to 24 September this year shows an increase of 11.5 percent year on year across the country, with total dengue infections at 142,247 compared to 127,525 last year and 604 recorded fatalities 

Based on Philippine surveillance data collected between 2011 and 2015, an average of 220 dengue cases were reported in the country every day. In 2015, almost 50% of reported cases came from three most urbanized regions: Region 3 (17.6%), Region 4 (17.3%), and the National Capital Region (12.6%). Cases stemming from all four serotypes of dengue were reported in 2015.

Disease burden: US$345 million per year

The economic burden of dengue in the Philippines is substantial. A study published in 2015 estimated that between 2008 and 2012, clinically diagnosed dengue cases in the Philippines were associated with a direct medical cost (in 2012 US dollars) of $345 million annually. 

The study calculated the average cost of treatment per case to be $409, representing 16% of the Philippines’ 2012 per capita GDP. Sixty-five percent of cases were treated in inpatient hospitals, representing 90% of direct costs.

In addition to dengue’s burden on a household, the illness can adversely impact a country’s economy through a loss of productivity caused by the illness and pre-mature death, increased healthcare costs and a possible reduction in tourism.

Seasonality and global climate change

Dengue has become a year-round threat in the Philippines. However, data suggests that the number of dengue cases increases one to two months after the onset of the rainy season, resulting in a peak of dengue cases between July and November each year. 

The Philippines is severely affected by extreme weather events and is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Vector-borne diseases like dengue may be particularly sensitive to both periodic fluctuations and sustained changes in global and local climates. Additionally, a study examining data from eight Asian countries including the Philippines over 18 years revealed a strong correlation between regional dengue epidemics and elevated temperatures associated with El Niño.

DoH implements a step-wise public vaccination program in 2016

The Department of Health announced on 4 January 2016 that one million (1M) nine-year-old Filipinos enrolled in government schools in Region 3, Region 4-A and the National Capital Region will be the first beneficiaries of the government-procured dengue vaccine. 

In a recent dengue vaccine cost-effectiveness study performed by Professor Hilton Lam of the UP-National Institutes of Health, a nationwide annual routine vaccination of nine-year olds starting in 2016 would lead to an estimated 24.2% reduction in dengue cases in the country over a five-year period. This would translate to 775,053 avoided cases of dengue, 502,000 avoided hospitalizations, 22,010 avoided deaths and almost Php 21 billion in avoided cost to society.

Beyond the Vial: A Social Value Business Model For Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengue Vaccine

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Dengue is a serious and complex disease. Dengue is an infection caused by a virus. You can get it if an infected mosquito bites you. The mosquitos that transmit dengue indiscriminately pass the disease amongst people of all ages and socio-economic levels. Aedes aegypti has been identified as the main dengue-carrying culprit, biting between 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Another one is Aedes albopictus, has been discovered to have peak biting hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. In tandem, these mosquito strains now make dengue a round-the-clock concern.

Dengue is a major public health priority. Dengue vaccination is a critical addition to the integrated disease prevention efforts needed to more effectively manage dengue burden. The tide of dengue could be better controlled through enhanced international collaborations in public health, and an innovative social business model with a vaccine at its core.

What's the best line of defense against dengue? About half of the world’s population lives in areas where dengue is endemic, and millions suffer its seemingly bone-breaking pain and severe fevers, each year. 

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi,  is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Sanofi discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs.

Dr Su-Peing Ng, Global Medical Head Sanofi Pasteur and Professor Tikki Pang from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2012 ) and at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland as Director of its Research Policy & Cooperation department (1999-2012)

A media round table talks las September 20, 2016 held at The New World Hotel with with Dr Su-Peing Ng, Global Medical Head Sanofi Pasteur as she talks about Combatting Dengue with World's First Vaccine: From Innovation to Implementation and Professor Tikki Pang explains health Impact and value of dengue vaccination.

It was twenty years ago when the global healthcare leader, Sanofi Pasteur identified the potential scale of the dengue problem at its early stages, and began to put in place a set of innovative scientific and industrial solutions. In 2015, the dengue vaccine received its first market approvals. 

In July 2016, after more than two years of review processes and inputs from clinical trial data and from top global dengue and infectious diseases experts, the World Health Organization issued its recommendation that countries where the dengue burden is high should consider vaccine introduction as part of integrated dengue prevention and control measures.As of September 14th 2016, the vaccine was licensed in 9 endemic countries in Asia and Latin America and public immunization programs are underway in Brazil and the Philippines, while the vaccine is also available on the private markets in those countries as well as in Mexico and El Salvador. 

The story behind the vaccine is one of hard-earned research and development – but you’ve heard that story before. This story goes beyond the vial, as well: It’s about a new, social value business model that Sanofi Pasteur has built in collaboration with dengue-endemic countries and global health institutions. In time, it can help control dengue. But as importantly, it can help to support better healthcare outcomes in emerging markets by accelerating access to needed innovations. 

When Sanofi Pasteur first identified a viable dengue vaccine candidate, we saw the opportunity todevelop a health solution specifically for the countries where the dengue burden is highest. We wanted to make sure that people who lived in grip of dengue’s threat were the people for whom the vaccine is designed and delivered primarily. It sounds simple enough but in traditional pharmaceutical business models, this is often not the case. More often than not, travelers and other select groups of individuals from high-income countries have access to new preventive tools against tropical diseases first, at a premium, before these solutions are made available, often as many as 10 years later, in less rich economies, even if this is where the disease burden is heaviest. 

Our faith in this“flipping the model” approach was inspired by the scale of the dengue problem. Vaccines are widely considered among the most effective healthcare interventions against infectious diseases. They often confer protection against a disease that extends beyond the vaccinated to also the unvaccinated population. Given dengue’s massive spread, a vaccine could help national authorities in dengue-endemic countries achieve WHO 2020 objectives for dengue reductions in mortality (50%) and morbidity (25%) if it is implemented in large-scale public health programs1. 

We anticipated this, and began building robust public health collaborations and industrial resources essential to success. The global clinical development program of the vaccine included 40,000 participants in 15 countries across Asia and Latin America.  We invested in extensive skills training for healthcare personnel, upgraded healthcare facilities and increased prevention and education efforts. We captured new scientific insights into dengue epidemiology and transmission which is shared with host governments. In parallel, Sanofi Pasteur built a dedicated dengue-vaccine production facility that will allow large and cost-effective supply to support optimal uptake of the vaccine as needed around the world. 

Successful implementation of dengue vaccination programs can help governments in dengue-endemic countries to take control over the disease. Mathematical modeling of the vaccine’s impact indicate that if countries take up broad public vaccination programs in highly dengue-endemic countries like those that participated in the Phase III development of the vaccine, vaccination can help cut the burden of disease in half over five years. Healthcare systems’ loads can be lightened and they can attract further outside public health investment with demonstrated program results. Successful vaccination programs therefore have the potential to be catalysts for social and economic progress. Today, states like Paraná in Brazil are taking up the lead in this effort. Public program introduction of the dengue vaccine in Mexico has been recommended by CONAVA, that country’s National Vaccination Council. Countries like these that have participated in the clinical development of the vaccine can see the value in the entire process as well as in the potential future results. 

At Sanofi Pasteur, we welcome enhanced support and investment in the robust public-private collaborations that ensure broad reach for innovative health solutions like the dengue vaccine. Working together to establish balanced trust and long-term commitment to new ways of bringing innovation to people is critical to unlocking innovative business models’ fullest potential for improving public health worldwide.

Dengvaxia is the first vaccine licensed for the prevention of dengue in the world. The vaccine is produced in a dedicated production site in France with planned full-scale production capacity of 100 million vaccine doses annually. 

Additional information about Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine is available on the web at www.dengue.info.