- A Pro Med Post
- Source: El Mundo (Spain)
- 10-26-4
- Translated by Jorge Gonzales Mendoza
- ( Jgonzale@ins.gob.pe )
-
- The Sanitation Ministry Siezes Batch Of Vaccine
-
- The Sanitation Ministry reported today [26 Oct 2004]
that they are retaining a batch of yellow fever vaccine as a
"preventive
measure," after a 26-year-old woman from Onuba died from yellow fever
stemming from a post-vaccination reaction. The woman was admitted last
Thursday [21 Oct 2004] to Juan Ramon Jimenez Hospital in Huelva because
of fever and multi-organ failure, having had, in addition to fever,
malaise,
vomiting, and diarrhea during the previous days.
-
- According to a press release from the hospital, since
she was about to travel abroad, the patient was also vaccinated for
diphtheria
and tetanus on 14 Oct 2004 at the External Sanitation Services in Huelva,
an office of the Sanitary and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
-
- The patient was directly admitted to intensive care,
where she was diagnosed with yellow fever associated with a post-vaccine
reaction that rapidly progressed and could not be successfully controlled
by the medical team, and she died last Friday [22 Oct 2004] at 5:30
AM.
-
- Sources from the Sanitation Ministry reported that they
are waiting for new information from the Andalucia Council regarding this
case. They also emphasized that people "should still have their
vaccines
if they have to travel abroad," since the benefits of immunization
outweigh the risks.
-
- No past history of such an event in Spain
-
- The same sources gave assurances that the performance
of the Huelva Vaccination Center was "perfect" with respect to
the protocol, and they have tried to avoid generating unnecessary alarm,
insisting that "the batch has been localized."
-
- The Sanitation Ministry commented that "since 1985,
there have been only 25 communications reporting mild symptoms considered
as vaccine reactions, but not a single case similar to that reported in
Huelva." Accordingly, the Sanitation Ministry indicated that the
frequency
of cases similar to the one reported today [26 Oct 2004] for the age group
between 25 and 44 years is less than zero percent per 100 000
inhabitants.
-
- The Ministry is waiting for information about the case
from the Andalucia Council; consequently, the vaccine batch retention
"is
only a preventive measure issued by the Sanitation Ministry," they
pointed out.
-
- The Management at Juan Ramon Jimenez Hospital confirmed
that samples were sent to the Majahonda National Center for Microbiology
and Virology soon after the victim was admitted to the hospital for
biologic
confirmation of the case.
-
- Yellow fever vaccine, which is manufactured using
attenuated
viruses, is not included in the vaccine calendar of the Andalucia Council,
since it is a disease absolutely absent in Andalucia and in Europe.
-
- The batch immobilization is a measure recommended by
the External Sanitation Department, which belongs to the Ministry of
Sanitation
and Consumer Affairs, to be complied with only in case of traveling to
countries where the disease is still present: i.e., the majority of
sub-Saharan
countries and tropical countries in the Americas.
-
- http://elmundosalud.elmundo.es
-
- Brazil, USA, and Australia have also reported such cases
(see refs. below). This case does not seem to correspond to problems with
the vaccine (contaminated batches), or with manufacturing problems, but
is a consequence of a special interaction between the virus in the vaccine
and the host; since, in rare cases, there might be an inability by the
host to generate an adequate immune response to the virus. - Mod.LJS
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads
- /postlist.php?Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
-
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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