http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=15431
Contamination suspected in child vaccination death May 13, 2006 |
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The presence of toxins in a vaccine given to six babies in Ho Chi Minh City may have killed one and caused the others to go into medical shock, an expert said Friday. | |
Dr Nguyen The Dzung, director of the city’s health department, said
further tests were being carried out on the children’s blood samples
to discover the nature of the toxins, how they got there, and how
they caused shock.
The tests would take some more days, he said after a meeting with
local medical experts and representatives of the vaccine importer.
Vietnam has temporarily banned the use of the measles, mumps, and
rubella vaccine, Priorix, produced by the UK’s GlaxoSmithKline,
pending the investigation outcome.
The batch of vaccines administered to the children would be sent to
a World Health Organization laboratory for tests, Dzung said.
The six victims were among more than 100 children in Ho Chi Minh
City’s district 5 given Priorix.
The other children were not affected.
Of the unfortunate ones, 13-month-old Ng.Thi.B died Wednesday after
being admitted to the Pediatrics Hospital No 1 in medical shock and
with breathing difficulty.
Another child remained on a respirator while the rest were
recovering, Dzung said.
GSK awaits word
GlaxoSmithKline said Friday confirmation was awaited if it was
indeed its pediatric vaccine, also known as MMR, which was
administered to the children.
A company spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires: "Priorix has been on
the market since 1997 and no similar event has ever been reported.
The safety record of Priorix would lead us to believe it was not our
vaccination."
MMR vaccines contain a mixture of live, but weakened viruses, and
work by provoking the body's immune response without causing the
diseases.
This vaccine is given in two doses as part of a childhood
vaccination schedule.
There have been several media reports over a possible link between
the vaccine and autism and bowel disease.
The UK’s Medical Research Council, after reviewing current evidence
and research, has concluded there is no link between the MMR vaccine
and these disorders.
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