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MANILA - A Filipino scientist on Tuesday claimed that Sanofi Pasteur buried in their studies evidence of Dengvaxia's risks on patients who have not been infected by dengue.

During a Senate committee hearing, Antonio Dans of the National Academy of Science and Technology said Sanofi should have informed the public about these risks before endorsing the vaccine to the country.

"Alam na nila na may posibilidad 'yan. Sa tingin namin, may foresigns na may antibody dependent enhancement na sanhi ng bakuna," he said, presenting data they got from Sanofi.

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Dans believes Sanofi did not need new data to come up with its late recommendation that there is risk of severe dengue among children who have not been infected by the mosquito-borne virus.

The scientist said they even tried to communicate to the French drug-maker their findings, which should have been included in local analyses, only to be ignored.

"The findings suggest that the vaccine could be harmful in seronegative children of whatever age -- not just more than 9 [years old], not just more than 5," he said.

Sanofi Pasteur regional representative Thomas Triomphe, however, insisted that they only found out about the potential risk of severe dengue after they took the advice of many people.

"We only found out (about the potential risk of severe dengue) in 2017 when we took the advice of many people to retest some of the sera. The independent data monitoring committee came to the conclusion of the report in November 2017," he said.