Philippines: 3 deaths may be linked to dengue vaccinations

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine health officials said Friday that the deaths of three children injected with a Sanofi Pasteur dengue vaccine may have "causal association" to the inoculation, including two who may have died because the vaccine failed.

The Philippine government halted its massive immunization drive last year after Sanofi said a study showed the vaccine may increase the risks of dengue in people vaccinated prior to infection. More than 830,000 children were injected with the Dengvaxia vaccine, health officials said.

"This issue continues to sow fear and confusion, especially to the parents of children who have been injected with Dengvaxia," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's office said in a statement.