The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sent a dispatch to Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, affirming that the Quinvaxem vaccine meets quality and safety requirements, and recommends it for vaccination programmes nationwide.
The information was unveiled by Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Nguyen Tran Hien at a press briefing held by the ministry in coordination with the WHO and UNICEF in Hanoi on June 20.
The Ministry of Health will submit a proposal to the Prime Minister on the resumption of Quinvaxem usage, said Hien, explaining that the proposal is based on the WHO’s newly-announced findings, the experience of some foreign countries and the conclusion of the Consultative Council.
According to the WHO, since 2006, over 400 million doses of Quinvaxem vaccine have been administered in 90 countries. Vietnam received 15.8 million doses, of which 15.2 million were delivered to localities from June 1, 2010, following the Government’s approval to use it in the expanded vaccination programmes to protect infants under 12 months old against five deadly childhood diseases, namely diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and pneumonia/menigitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
However, from the end of 2012 to early 2013, Vietnam recorded cases of abnormal reactions to the vaccine, said the ministry. Although there were no findings to link that to the vaccination, the ministry decided to halt the use of the vaccine in early May this year.
Leading experts from the ministry and the WHO confirmed that among 43 cases showing serious reactions following vaccination since 2010, 27 fatalities are not connected with the vaccination. Nine others were said to relate to Quinvaxem but they all recovered, while the rest had no connection with the vaccination or quality of the vaccination.
Experts also affirmed that there is no evidence to link five fatalities reported in Vietnam since 2013 with the vaccination as clinical signs showed no common pathology.
The June 12 meeting held by the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety confirmed that there is no evidence connecting the critical cases to the quality of the five-in-one vaccine.
Hien said that in the coming time, the health ministry will join hands with other relevant agencies to raise awareness among people on the safety of the Quinvaxem vaccine.-VNA
The information was unveiled by Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Nguyen Tran Hien at a press briefing held by the ministry in coordination with the WHO and UNICEF in Hanoi on June 20.
The Ministry of Health will submit a proposal to the Prime Minister on the resumption of Quinvaxem usage, said Hien, explaining that the proposal is based on the WHO’s newly-announced findings, the experience of some foreign countries and the conclusion of the Consultative Council.
According to the WHO, since 2006, over 400 million doses of Quinvaxem vaccine have been administered in 90 countries. Vietnam received 15.8 million doses, of which 15.2 million were delivered to localities from June 1, 2010, following the Government’s approval to use it in the expanded vaccination programmes to protect infants under 12 months old against five deadly childhood diseases, namely diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and pneumonia/menigitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
However, from the end of 2012 to early 2013, Vietnam recorded cases of abnormal reactions to the vaccine, said the ministry. Although there were no findings to link that to the vaccination, the ministry decided to halt the use of the vaccine in early May this year.
Leading experts from the ministry and the WHO confirmed that among 43 cases showing serious reactions following vaccination since 2010, 27 fatalities are not connected with the vaccination. Nine others were said to relate to Quinvaxem but they all recovered, while the rest had no connection with the vaccination or quality of the vaccination.
Experts also affirmed that there is no evidence to link five fatalities reported in Vietnam since 2013 with the vaccination as clinical signs showed no common pathology.
The June 12 meeting held by the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety confirmed that there is no evidence connecting the critical cases to the quality of the five-in-one vaccine.
Hien said that in the coming time, the health ministry will join hands with other relevant agencies to raise awareness among people on the safety of the Quinvaxem vaccine.-VNA
