A one-and-a-half-month-old infant in Long Bien district, Ha Noi, died after receiving a Republic of Korean vaccine against Hepatitis B, reports the Ha Noi Preventive Health Center.
The infant was born on November 19, 2007 and brought to a medical clinic in Gia Lam Ward, Long Bien district on December 4 to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.
The vaccine used on the boy was “Euvax B”, manufactured by LG Life Sciences in the Republic of Korea (Number 06007, expiry date February 27, 2009).
Minh’s parent noticed their son cried a lot more than usual before falling asleep and, at 3:30pm the same day, turned blue and was brought to the Duc Giang Hospital in Gia Lam district. Despite doctors’ efforts, he died that night.
The boy’s parents said their son did not showe any sign of illness before receiving the vaccine and his older sister had also received a Hepatitis B shot at the same clinic.
Ha Noi Health Department Chief Inspector Nguyen Viet Cuong said no conclusion has yet been drawn about the newborn’s death and the family has refused to subject their son’s body to an autopsy.
The department’s health experts will work with local police to widen their investigation this week.
According to district health officials, about 1,828 infants have been treated with the same vaccine but none experienced similar problems.
The Ha Noi Preventive Health Center has announced a temporary suspension on the distribution and use of the Euvax B vaccine.
The center will also keep a close watch on the health conditions of the infants who have received the vaccine.
This is the first death after vaccination in Ha Noi and the sixth case involved problems with the Euvax B vaccine nationwide. Since April 2007, five infants have died after receiving the vaccine.
