Philippines defied local specialists' advice in pursuing dengue immunisation programme

Manila

AS SHE announced in January 2016 that the Philippines would immunise one million children with a new dengue vaccine, the nation's then health secretary Janette Garin boasted it was a world first and a tribute to her country's "expertise" in research.

At the time, it seemed that the Philippines could be on the cusp of a breakthrough to combat a potentially lethal tropical virus that had been endemic in large parts of the South-east Asian nation for decades.