Do not neglect vaccination for children.

(Baonghean) -In recent days, the consecutive deaths of 4 newborns after being vaccinated against Hepatitis B in Quang Tri and Binh Thuan provinces have made many mothers extremely worried. However, these are considered rare cases and the current recommendation of the health sector is that parents need to take their children to be fully vaccinated to prevent dangerous diseases.

At the Obstetrics Department - Vinh City General Hospital - a place famous for its "good hands" in taking care of mothers and children, concern and anxiety are clearly shown on the faces of fathers, mothers and family members.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, 26 years old, residing in Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh city, is preparing to give birth to her first child. She shared: “With the advice of doctors, I know that getting the hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours after birth will help protect the child from hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer later. But with deaths like the ones that just happened, my family and I are not worried! I also don't know whether to give the child the vaccine after birth or not.”

As for Mr. Tran Dinh Quang's family in Hung Binh ward, they are focusing on monitoring their newborn baby, who is just over a day old. Mr. Quang said: "The baby has been vaccinated and has not shown any unusual symptoms, so the family is somewhat reassured. We were supposed to take the baby home today, but we decided to stay at the hospital for another 1-2 days to monitor the baby's condition before discharging him..."

Not only families with young children are afraid of getting the hepatitis B vaccine, but the panic has spread and affected many people. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, 40 years old, in Nghi Phu commune expressed: "If I don't vaccinate my children, I'm afraid they'll be at risk of getting the disease. If I vaccinate them, I'm afraid of the vaccine, the injection technique is not guaranteed, and there are risks." And the fear of unsafe vaccination has not only focused on the hepatitis B vaccine but has spread to other types of vaccines.



Giving children high doses of vitamin A supplements at Chau Quang Commune Health Station - Quy Hop. Photo: Tu Thanh

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, Nam Dan Town, expressed his indignation: "I know that vaccination has helped millions of children escape the risk of dangerous infectious diseases, but in the past 4 years, nearly 30 children nationwide have died after being vaccinated. Last year, our province also had 3 children in Quy Hop die after being vaccinated with the Quinvaxem "5 in 1" vaccine. I have 2 children who are at the age of vaccination, but I will not vaccinate them for the time being. I will wait until I find a place that offers guaranteed vaccination services to take my children there"...

Mr. Dang Xuan Anh, a teacher in Cua Lo Town, said: “In fact, no vaccine is 100% safe - we know this clearly. People have an “aversion” to vaccines because when children get vaccinated, they often experience swelling and pain at the injection site, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, there is the explanation of the health sector for the cases of child deaths. Many children die without finding the cause in the vaccine or the person who injected them, and in the end, the conclusion is still “anaphylactic shock of unknown cause”…

The cases of children dying after being vaccinated against hepatitis B have really caused psychological insecurity for pregnant women in particular and the general population in general. The health sector has been taking measures to reassure people as well as improve the quality of vaccination.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Truong - Deputy Director of Vinh City General Hospital said: "The hospital has been implementing the decision of the Ministry of Health requiring all facilities with delivery rooms to practice the first hepatitis B injection within the first 24 hours. Before the injection, we clearly explained the benefits of hepatitis B vaccination as well as the reactions that the children may encounter to the parents and families of the children. At the same time, we conducted consultation in specific cases such as whether the pregnant woman has a history of hepatitis B or not. On the hospital side, we always thoroughly understand and promote the sense of responsibility of doctors and nurses in performing injection techniques"...

Not considering the cases of children dying after vaccination as "a cluster of very rare reactions", recently, the Department of Health and the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine have established inspection teams to inspect the vaccination process, promptly correct the storage of vaccines in medical facilities according to regulations, not to mix vaccines with other biological products, check the daily vaccine management records, store shells and vials according to regulations, and implement vaccination at the vaccination room. Through inspection and training, the quality of vaccination has been continuously improved...

According to leading experts in the field of vaccines, the vaccination schedule for children in Vietnam under the Expanded Immunization Program is implemented according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which is being implemented by most countries in the world. However, our country is using many old-generation vaccines, so the reaction rate is high and the State needs to increase investment so that children can use new-generation vaccines, reducing post-vaccination complications.

During this time, mothers should not neglect to vaccinate their children because of complications. And before giving birth, mothers should regularly perform screening examinations. When taking their children for vaccination, parents need to monitor their children after vaccination to quickly detect any abnormalities in the children and notify the vaccination staff for timely treatment.

Thanh Chung