(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines' Health Department declared a dengue epidemic as cases nearly doubled, with 622 people dead this year due to the mosquito-borne disease.
Over 146,000 dengue cases have been recorded from January to July 20, 98% from a year ago, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said at a televised briefing Tuesday.
An epidemic was declared to allow local governments to use emergency funds to control dengue, he said. President Rodrigo Duterte is open to lifting the ban on the use of Sanofi's controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia to address the epidemic, his spokesman earlier said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net
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