The Ministry of Health has decided to resume use of Quinvaxem vaccine after five months of suspension, after the vaccine was confirmed safe following tests conducted by independent laboratories across the world.
Quinvaxem, a multi-purpose vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza Type B infections, was taken off shelves due to increase in the number of adverse cases.
The vaccine will be available again from October in all medical clinics nationwide. At present, the Ministry has imported 1.5 million dozes of the vaccine.
The World Health Organization confirmed the vaccine made by Berna Biotec Company in South Korea was safe.
Test results all conducted by the National Institute of Drug Quality Control and in the UK on three batches of vaccine, confirmed quality standards.
The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety also announced there was no evidence to link recent fatalities with the vaccine.
In other health related news, discussions on enhancing the involvement and efficiency of social organizations in implementing the national strategy on HIV/AIDS prevention, topped the agenda at a seminar in Hanoi on September 24.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stressed at the seminar that Vietnam is now facing challenges in fighting HIV/ AIDS as the number of HIV infected people are on the increase in some northern mountainous regions and the Mekong Delta.
The rate of infected lesbians is on an upward trend of late and without effective control especially in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong.
According to the Bureau of AIDS Prevention, more than 213,000 HIV positive people live in the country and 65,000 of them have already succumbed to the disease in recent years.
Despite the low number of HIV infections and deaths in the first five months of the year, more districts are reporting HIV cases.
The seminar was held by the Ministry of Health and the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs, and Prostitution Prevention and Control in coordination with Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association.
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