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Japan: Investigating Pediatric Vaccines

 

 

UPDATED:  0850hrs EST  03/08/11

Reuters is reporting that while the Japanese suspension on the use of both vaccines remains in effect, a government panel has been unable to find any apparent link between the use of these two vaccines and the four deaths.  

 

Japan panel finds no link to vaccines, deaths: report

 

They state, however, that further investigation is warranted.

 

 

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Over the past couple of days concerns have been raised in Japan – and around the world - over the safety of two widely used pediatric vaccines (Pfizer’s Prevnar & Sanofi’s ActHIB) after the sudden deaths of four recently vaccinated children.

 

Prevnar is a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, while ActHib is a Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine.

 

Both are viewed as highly successful in the prevention of serious childhood infections.

 

The four children – aged 6 months to 2 years – all died within a day or two of receiving one or both vaccines, although no direct link between their deaths and the vaccines has been established. 

 

Both vaccines have been given to millions of children over the past decade, and both have an excellent safety profile. 

 

But when you give tens of millions of vaccinations each year, a small number of unexpected – and most probably unrelated – serious medical events are apt to occur within a few days among those receiving a shot.

 

And it should be noted that at least two of these children reportedly had serious underlying medical conditions.

 

Nevertheless, Japan has suspended the use of both vaccines pending an investigation. A step that has not been followed by other countries.

 

First, a brief report from Vaccine Daily News on the suspension of these vaccines.

 

 Japan suspends use of two vaccines

by Jeffrey Bigongiari on March 7, 2011

 

Next we get a piece by Matthew Herper in Forbes on this vaccine scare, which includes reassuring comments from Dr. William Schaffner (Chairman of the department of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine) and Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.

 

Don’t Be Frightened By Japan’s Vaccine Scare

Mar. 7 2011 - 5:35 pm |

 

 

While it is within the realm of possibility that one or both of these vaccines contributed to these child deaths (hence the investigation), the track record of both of these vaccines is very good – making that unlikely.

 

And even if causation is found, the spectacular success of the HiB vaccine in preventing childhood illness and deaths in this country cannot be overstated. 

 

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There is no such thing, of course, as a completely benign – 100% safe – vaccine.   Side effects – even serious ones – while rare, can occur.

 

All drugs have a risk/reward benefit that must be taken into consideration before taking.  But the evidence is that the Hib and Prevnar vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, and save thousands of lives each year.

 

We’ll obviously await word on the investigation into these deaths with considerable interest, but for now, we’ve no compelling evidence to implicate these vaccines in these fatalities.

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