Newborn in Vietnam Central Province Dies after Getting Vaccinated

Health officials in Vietnam’s central province of Nghe An have reported the death of a baby related to the free 5-in-1 (Quinvaxem) vaccination, raising the national death rate to two since last month and eight in two years. The three-month-old boy received the shot at a commune medical station in Nghe An Province. Four minutes later, he cried loudly before passing out and died soon afterwards, according to local officials and the family. Health officials and the family said the boy was healthy. Local health officials said a team has been sent to the commune to investigate the cause of death. Health officials also said that they imported 36,000 shots of the vaccine. The locality has already injected 31,719 babies with the vaccine without seeing any side effect. Quinvaxem is a WHO prequalified drug given to infants in Vietnam for free as part of a national Expanded Program on Immunization to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B infections. Berna Biotech Korea Corp. has distributed the vaccine in Vietnam since 2010 and the drug is much cheaper than alternatives. The health ministry suspended the vaccine in May 2013 after nine infants died between November 2012 and March 2013. After the ministry’s investigation found that the deaths were not related to the vaccine, it was reintroduced in October the same year. Of eight babies died after vaccination, none of them have been linked to the vaccine. (Nguoi Lao Dong – Laborer Oct 21 p2, Thanh Nien – Young People Oct 21)