Quinvaxem 5-in-1 vaccine has not been replaced in expanded immunization.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that it will continue to use the 5-in-1 Quinvaxem vaccine in the expanded immunization program, and there is no alternative to this vaccine.

The Ministry of Health's professional advisory council, including experts from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the National Children's Hospital, and the Department of Preventive Medicine, sat down together to evaluate the entire vaccination process and complications during the use of vaccines in the case of baby Nguyen Ngoc Tuong Vi (4.5 months old, Tu Ky, Hai Duong).

Illustration photo.

Accordingly, the conclusion was that the cause of Vi's death was septic shock on a background of sepsis, unrelated to the Quivaxem vaccine and the vaccination process.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Health also affirmed that it will continue to use Quinvaxem vaccine in the expanded immunization program.

Vaccine replacement must have scientific evidence

Speaking with VietNamNet, Mr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, said that Quinvaxem vaccine was sponsored by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) from June 2010 to the end of 2019 with an annual quantity of about 5.5 million doses/year.

In response to the question, why doesn't the Ministry of Health consider the alternative of using service vaccines?, Mr. Phu explained: "The 6-in-1 Infanrix Hexa vaccine is currently administered to 100,000 - 200,000 children per year, but the Quinvaxem vaccine is administered to 1.7 million children.

With the current price of 6 in 1, if we buy enough for 1.7 million children, after negotiation, it will still cost 11,900 billion VND/year, while currently, the total cost of all 10 types of vaccines in the new expansion program is only 300 billion VND.

"However, whether or not to replace the vaccine is not a financial issue, but requires scientific evidence and conclusions from experts to choose a vaccine that is both safe and effective. Every type of vaccine has a certain rate of reaction, no one dares to affirm that replacing the vaccine will not cause deaths," said Mr. Phu.

According to Mr. Phu, even in cases of deaths due to vaccines, we must consider them. If the rate is still lower than recommended, we should still use them for the purpose of protecting the whole community. If we do not vaccinate, the disease will break out, many children will die, and the lesson from the measles epidemic is an example.

Mr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health.

The Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine said that the current rate of adverse reactions after Quinvaxem vaccination in Vietnam is 4.5 children per 1 million doses used, much lower than the manufacturer's and WHO's recommendation of 20 cases per 1 million doses.

According to him, Quinvaxem vaccine with whole cell pertussis component has more reactions such as fever, swelling, pain and even bruising than acellular vaccine (service vaccine).

WHO assessed that whole-cell vaccines have a better immune response than acellular vaccines and the rate of severe reactions after vaccination of these two vaccines is equivalent.

No vaccine service yet

According to the Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, this November, there have been no more imported batches of Pentaxem (5 in 1) and Infanrix hexa (6 in 1) vaccines. Therefore, the shortage of service vaccines continues to occur.

The Ministry of Health allows companies to import vaccines for service according to people's needs, but manufacturers do not have enough vaccines to meet demand.

"To get vaccines, you have to order 2-3 years in advance. Manufacturers will prioritize countries that order in large quantities and early, while Vietnamese companies usually only buy in small batches, not in large quantities," said Mr. Phu.

According to Vietnamnet.vn