Japan halts Pfizer, Sanofi vaccines after four die

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110307/ts_nm/us_japan_vaccine

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan's health ministry has halted the use of vaccines made by Pfizer Inc and Sanofi-Aventis SA to prevent meningitis and pneumonia following the deaths of four children. The infants died shortly after receiving the vaccines and while it was unclear if there was link between the deaths and vaccines, use of Pfizer's Prevenar and Sanofi's ActHIB will be suspended while the deaths are investigated, the ministry said in a statement.

A ministry safety panel is scheduled to discuss findings in the investigations on Tuesday.

In February last year health authorities in the Netherlands said no relation was found between Prevenar and the deaths of three infants who had received the vaccine.

Three of the children that died in Japan were administered Prevenar together with ActHIB. In addition, three of the children also received a mixed vaccine against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus on the same day they received the other vaccines. Three of the four children died a day after being immunized. The deaths happened between March 2 and March 4.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc all the way, baby!

:eyes:

It could be a simply a random statistical anomaly that 4 Japanese infants died in two day period, three within 24 hours of getting vaccinated with the same two vaccines in conjunction.

However, Japan has the fourth lowest infant mortality rate in the world, and Japanese authorities appear to believe that this potential random statistical anomaly deserves at least a full investigation and a temporary suspension of the use of these vaccines. Somehow I doubt that if other potential causes of death were readily apparent that such action would have been taken.

But I await the results of the full investigation. Not enough information on these cases has been presented by the press to make even a reasonable estimate about probability of the vaccine causation hypothesis.

I doubt it.

From what I understand this may be the result of Japan's recent institution of a government subsidized program for vaccination. They're historically slow to do stuff like this with vaccines, so now with more people getting vaccinated you're going to have more ADRs, going to have more events like this related in time but that may not have a causal connection (and, if the rest of the world's experience with vaccination have anything to say on the matter, probably don't).

Of the two of us, who is jumping to conclusions?

When these vaccines have been used safely in the United States for the past twenty some-odd years without scores of folks dropping dead, I'm gonna go ahead and not get lathered up about these reports until some sort of a causal connection can be established.

Cute chart, though!

If that doesn't "lather you up", what in the world would?

It's really ironic. I don't know the whether the vaccinations triggered these deaths, but the fact that the authorities suspended their use makes me think there is at least a decent chance of this. I think it would be a good idea to wait and see what the preponderance of evidence says before assuming anything, though.

You, on the other hand, you have ruled vaccines innocent until proven guilty. Yet you accuse me of jumping to conclusions?

:rofl:

think about the phrase "burden of proof" and what that entails, and try again. :hi:

and I refused. I'm glad now.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/08/japan-vaccine-idUSL3E7E816R20110308

Japan's health ministry said on Tuesday it would continue suspending the use of vaccines made by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Sanofi-Aventis SA (SASY.PA) that prevent meningitis and pneumonia, after a meeting of an expert panel.

The ministry halted the use of the vaccines in response to the deaths of four children shortly after receiving the vaccines.

The expert panel found no clear direct link between the vaccines and the deaths but said further studies were needed, Kyodo news agency said. A health ministry official said the suspension would continue but declined to comment further.