To ensure absolute safety when injecting Quinvaxem vaccine

(Baonghean) - After a temporary suspension due to adverse events, in October 2013, the Quinvaxem vaccine was allowed to be injected again by the Government and the Ministry of Health. The implementation of re-injection of Quinvaxem vaccine for children is currently receiving great public attention. Nghe An Newspaper reporter had an interview with Specialist Doctor I Phan Van Cong, Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control, Biological Vaccines, Provincial Preventive Medicine Center about the work of ensuring safety when injecting Quinvaxem vaccine.

PV: Doctor! What diseases can Quinvaxem vaccine prevent? Why was Quinvaxem vaccine temporarily suspended and now allowed to be injected again?

Doctor Phan Van Cong: Quinvaxem vaccine, also known as the "5 in 1" vaccine, is a combination vaccine consisting of diphtheria, tetanus, inactivated pertussis bacteria, hepatitis B virus antigens and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria antigens. Quinvaxem vaccine prevents diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and pneumonia, meningitis caused by Hib bacteria... Quinvaxem vaccine is produced in Korea, meets the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been recommended by WHO for use since 2006. To date, more than 400 million doses of Quinvaxem vaccine have been used in 91 countries. Quinvaxem vaccine has been included in free vaccination for children under 1 year old in Vietnam since June 2010 and has been vaccinated for about 14 million children.

Quinvaxem vaccine has been allowed to be injected again. Photo: Internet

However, after deaths occurred after vaccination with this vaccine in late 2012 and early 2013, vaccination was suspended in May 2013. The reason for the recent interruption of Quinvaxem vaccination was to verify whether some serious adverse events and deaths after vaccination were caused by the vaccine. After the suspension, the vaccine was re-tested in the UK and concluded that there were no quality problems. International health organizations have also confirmed the safety of Quinvaxem vaccine in Vietnam. Based on the clear disease prevention benefits of vaccination, Quinvaxem vaccine is still guaranteed in quality, so the Government has allowed the health sector to use it again.

Reporter: What are the results of Quinvaxem vaccination in Nghe An? How many children had reactions after vaccination?

Doctor Phan Van Cong: After careful preparation for vaccination safety, Nghe An province has resumed vaccination and supplementary vaccination with Quinvaxem vaccine for children since November 15 in 10/21 districts, cities and towns.

To date, Nghe An has vaccinated a total of 10,000 children with Quinvaxem vaccine. Through monitoring by the health sector: 776 children showed mild reactions, including crying, swelling at the injection site, and fever; 3 children had stronger reactions with symptoms of cyanosis and convulsions but not severe, 2 children were cared for at the commune health station, 1 child was cared for at the hospital and after a day, the health of all 3 children was stable and they were discharged from the hospital. Thus, the reactions after the recent Quinvaxem vaccination were all normal reactions, within the limits listed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

PV: To ensure safety in Quinvaxem vaccination, what measures has Nghe An Health Department taken?

Doctor Phan Van Cong:Before resuming Quinvaxem vaccination, Nghe An Health sector has well implemented the contents of the Decision on strengthening vaccination safety to ensure the safety and quality of vaccination dated August 21, 2013 of the Ministry of Health. Specifically: The sector organized conferences to deploy and train on screening and first aid in case of complications for medical staff in districts, towns and cities, and at the same time conducted investigations on subjects and made plans for vaccination implementation. Conducted comprehensive inspections of vaccination sites, especially the preservation of Quinvaxem vaccine.

During the vaccination period, at each vaccination site, the sector established mobile emergency teams, fully equipped with medical equipment, vehicles, and ready to respond in case of severe reactions after vaccination. At the same time, there is always a team of supervisors to ensure supervision of all vaccination sessions during the vaccination process. Strictly implement the regulation that each vaccination site only vaccinates 50 children/session to ensure safe vaccination for children, so that medical staff have enough time to examine, screen, and provide necessary advice on care and monitoring of children after vaccination. During the inspection process, the sector has not detected any cases of incorrect implementation of the vaccination process.

PV:Currently, some parents are still wondering and doubting when giving their children the Quinvaxem vaccine. What can doctors say about this?

Doctor Phan Van Cong: The nature of vaccination is good, preventing diseases for children. Quinvaxem vaccine has been proven by WHO to be as safe as acellular vaccine in terms of the rate of severe reactions.

It can be said that the implementation of Quinvaxem vaccination in recent times has received great attention, not only from parents and health workers but also from the whole community. Families whose children have been vaccinated have cooperated very well with the health sector in monitoring and caring for children after vaccination, promptly detecting cases of reactions. The health sector hopes that people will trust and take their children for vaccination as well as properly follow the vaccination procedures such as counseling, screening examination when vaccinating and especially closely monitoring children, if there are any unusual symptoms, take the children immediately to medical facilities for treatment. Before vaccination, people need to fully inform the health workers about their children's medical condition so that they can decide whether to vaccinate or postpone the vaccination.

PV: Thank you doctor!

Thanh Chung