Philippines declares national dengue epidemic, 622 deaths in 2019

The Philippines' health ministry declared a nationaldengue epidemic on Tuesday after reporting a spike in the number ofcases of the illness, which has left more than 600 people dead sincethe start of the year.From January to July 20, the Department of Health has recorded atotal of 146,062 cases of dengue nationwide, 98 per cent higher thanin the same period in 2018, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.The department has also recorded 622 deaths from the virus."It is important that a national epidemic be declared ... to identifywhere a localised response is needed and to enable the localgovernment units to use their quick response fund to address theepidemic situation," he told a meeting with disaster managementofficials.The increase in dengue cases in the Philippines comes two years afterthe government stopped a mass immunization programme using thevaccine Dengvaxia, manufactured by French firm Sanofi Pasteur.The decision came after Sanofi Pasteur disclosed that the vaccineposed risks to people who had not been infected before immunization.The Philippines revoked Dengvaxia's certification after reports ofdeaths linked to the vaccine.