Aquino denies Dengvaxia program used for electioneering

Former President Benigno Aquino III denied Thursday accusations that he violated an election law when the government, under his administration, rolled out a P3.5 billion dengue vaccine program.

Aquino, who faced a preliminary probe at the Commission on Elections, said the purchase order for the French-made Dengvaxia vaccine was made March 9, 2016 or 16 days before the election ban.

The dengue vaccination program was launched in April 2016, a month before the presidential elections. They were given to over 800,000 school children.

The Health Department stopped the program after Dengvaxia-maker Sanofi Pasteur said the vaccine might increase the risk of severe dengue in recipients with no previous Dengue infection.