MANILA- Senator Nancy Binay on Friday called on the Department of Health and dengue vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur to launch a nationwide information drive over the risks of the vaccine.

Binay, in a statement, said the recent medical report of Sanofi Pasteur is " deeply shocking and disturbing" particularly to parents whose children have taken the vaccine.

"We don't want the warning to the public come too little, too late. Obviously, there were shortfalls and gaps in the vaccine's safety profile, and I believe Sanofi is morally and ethically obliged to inform the public what severe diseases came out in their clinical tests," she said.

Binay said the public must know the circumstances surrounding the vaccine, what symptoms should be monitored, precautions, indications, contraindications, side effects and possible adverse effects of the vaccine.

The senator's call comes after Sanofi Pasteur reported that its Dengvaxia vaccine should not be recommended to individuals if they have never been infected with the dengue virus.

It warned that the vaccine may cause "more severe dengue cases" on those who may contract the disease for the first time.

Health officials have earlier said the vaccine is capable of lowering severity in dengue cases by 93 percent and reduces hospitalization rate by 82 percent.

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