WHO to provide Vietnam with info on adverse vaccines reactions

Published: 11/12/2009 05:00

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The WHO said Wednesday it would provide Vietnam will all information related to its current investigation of adverse H1N1 vaccines reactions, following reports of inoculation-induced illnesses in Canada.

The UN agency’s press release was issued in response to Vietnam’s recent request for information about the safety of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)-produced Arepanrix vaccines, which are set to be distributed throughout the country, after Canada reported higher-than-usual rates of adverse reactions to the medicine early this month.

Some 1.2 million doses of the WHO-sponsored adjuvanted vaccines are expected to arrive in Vietnam between this month and next February.

However, WHO stated that it and vaccine manufacturers would not take any responsibility for any post-immunization complications, Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the health ministry’s Preventive Health and Environment Department, told a meeting on epidemic control on the same day.

Countries benefiting from the WHO H1N1 vaccination campaign instead will be responsible for all adverse reactions, which is one of the commitments they have to make to receive the agency’s aid, according to Nga.

Vietnam plans to use the vaccines to inoculate 800,000-900,000 women who are more than three months pregnant and 280,000 health workers.

According to WHO, Canada authorized the use of Arepanrix, which was prequalified by WHO in October.

On November 24, GSK said about 15 million doses of Arepanrix had been distributed in Canada and the frequency of adverse allergic reactions after immunization was less than one event per 100,000 doses, a typical rate for other vaccines, the WHO said in a statement.

But on December 4, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported seven cases of anaphylaxis following in some 157,000 vaccinations from Lot A80CA007A, higher than the usual 0.1-1 per 100,000 doses, WHO said.

GSK then withheld the lot from use.

Also on Wednesday, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology announced it had launched a US$1.6-million research project in which it will cooperate with US scientists to track the rate of circulation of antibodies against the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Already in preparation for three years, the research will be conducted on more than 12,000 people over seven years old in Hanoi, said Nguyen Tran Hien, head of the institute.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre

Provide by Vietnam Travel

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