Baby dies minutes after vaccination in central Vietnam
Health officials in central Vietnam have reported another death related to the free 5-in-1 Quinvaxem vaccine, the second since last month and the eighth in two years.
The three-month-old boy received the shot October 21 morning 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.
They said he had been healthy.
Local health officials said a team has been sent to the commune to investigate the cause of death.
Quinvaxem is a WHO prequalified drug given to infants in Vietnam for free as part of a national immunization program to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B infections.
Berna Biotech Korea Corp. has distributed it in Vietnam since 2010 and it 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.
But at least eight babies have died since, and, again, none of them have been linked to the vaccine.