The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children'sFund (UNICEF) on December 19 issued a joint statement calling onVietnamese parents to maintain faith in the quality of childhoodimmunisations.
Each year in Vietnam, vaccinesprotect 1.5 million children under1 year of age against a minimum ofeight life-threatening childhood diseases.
However,over the past few months some parents have been concerned about mediareports that have suggested a link between a number of child deaths oradverse reactions, and vaccinations with the 5-in-1 or pentavalentvaccine.
WHO and UNICEF officials noted thatfollowing an investigation by independent international and nationalexperts, no evidence was found to indicate that the quality or safety ofpentavalent vaccines has directly or indirectly led to children'sdeaths following immunisations.
"Whilst every effortis made to ensure the safety of immunisations, when thousands ofchildren are vaccinated on a daily basis, a small number of reports ofadverse events following immunisation are to be expected," the statementsaid.
At least 27 fatalities, along with 43 adversereactions associated with Quinvaxem in the country, have been recordedsince July 2010, according to statistics from the National Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology.
Additionally, WHO andUNICEF officials noted that, in some cases, children receivingimmunisations are suffering from other childhood illnesses, such aspneumonia or diarrhea, or serious congenital diseases that may not havebeen diagnosed.
On very rare occasions – less thanone in a million – an otherwise healthy child could suffer a seriousallergic reaction to a vaccine, which requires immediate medicalattention.
The Pentavalent vaccine protectschildren against five life threatening diseases. The chances of dying orsuffering from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus type B orHepatitis B are far greater than any possible side effect from thevaccine, according to experts.
Vague plans
A project jointly run by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health has foundshortcomings due to problems in planning and co-ordination, according toofficials.
The project, "Child Survival andDevelopment", began last year and will continue until 2016 withtechnical and financial support worth 5.8 million USD from UNICEF.
It seeks to improve the quality and effectiveness of the nationalhealthcare system to focus on disadvantaged children and women indifferent provinces and cities.
However, one-yearplans have come under criticism as being too vague, creatingdifficulties for supervising by the project management unit, said Vu ThiHau, secretary of the project, at a conference in Hanoi.
Additionally, co-ordination was not close enough between differentprovinces, between the project management unit, UNICEF, and itspartners, she said.
Experts from the projectmanagement unit proposed that UNICEF set up a detailed plan for nextyear for the unit and its partners to follow.-VNA
Each year in Vietnam, vaccinesprotect 1.5 million children under1 year of age against a minimum ofeight life-threatening childhood diseases.
However,over the past few months some parents have been concerned about mediareports that have suggested a link between a number of child deaths oradverse reactions, and vaccinations with the 5-in-1 or pentavalentvaccine.
WHO and UNICEF officials noted thatfollowing an investigation by independent international and nationalexperts, no evidence was found to indicate that the quality or safety ofpentavalent vaccines has directly or indirectly led to children'sdeaths following immunisations.
"Whilst every effortis made to ensure the safety of immunisations, when thousands ofchildren are vaccinated on a daily basis, a small number of reports ofadverse events following immunisation are to be expected," the statementsaid.
At least 27 fatalities, along with 43 adversereactions associated with Quinvaxem in the country, have been recordedsince July 2010, according to statistics from the National Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology.
Additionally, WHO andUNICEF officials noted that, in some cases, children receivingimmunisations are suffering from other childhood illnesses, such aspneumonia or diarrhea, or serious congenital diseases that may not havebeen diagnosed.
On very rare occasions – less thanone in a million – an otherwise healthy child could suffer a seriousallergic reaction to a vaccine, which requires immediate medicalattention.
The Pentavalent vaccine protectschildren against five life threatening diseases. The chances of dying orsuffering from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus type B orHepatitis B are far greater than any possible side effect from thevaccine, according to experts.
Vague plans
A project jointly run by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health has foundshortcomings due to problems in planning and co-ordination, according toofficials.
The project, "Child Survival andDevelopment", began last year and will continue until 2016 withtechnical and financial support worth 5.8 million USD from UNICEF.
It seeks to improve the quality and effectiveness of the nationalhealthcare system to focus on disadvantaged children and women indifferent provinces and cities.
However, one-yearplans have come under criticism as being too vague, creatingdifficulties for supervising by the project management unit, said Vu ThiHau, secretary of the project, at a conference in Hanoi.
Additionally, co-ordination was not close enough between differentprovinces, between the project management unit, UNICEF, and itspartners, she said.
Experts from the projectmanagement unit proposed that UNICEF set up a detailed plan for nextyear for the unit and its partners to follow.-VNA
