September 13, 2024 | 4:23pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday, September 13, clarified that mpox vaccines are not yet legally available in the Philippines and warned the public against availing vaccines from unauthorized sources.
“It has come to the attention of the Department of Health that there may be organizations or individuals offering supposed Mpox vaccines ‘imported’ from abroad. The public is cautioned against availing such vaccines,” the agency said in a public advisory.
Like all medicines, vaccines must be evaluated and approved by regulatory agencies such as the DOH and Food and Drug Administration before they can be made available to the public.
The DOH said the “supposed mpox vaccines” being offered by unofficial organizations and individuals in the country did not undergo this process.
Besides requiring the approval of regulatory agencies, vaccines also need to be stored in a temperature-controlled supply chain, also known as a cold chain, to maintain their potency.
“Without DOH [and] FDA safeguards, there is no way to assure safety and efficacy,” the agency said.
The DOH added that it is best to wait for the government’s official procurement of vaccines instead of relying on a “false sense of security.”
To prevent mpox infection, the agency has recommended avoiding close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact and practicing hand washing.
As of September 9, the DOH has reported a total of 23 mpox cases since 2022, 14 of which were recorded in 2024 and classified as milder virus clade II.
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