Clipping Board » Medical Harm ─ Unnecessary or inappropriate medical procedures can also cause harm.
October 17, 2012 (Central News Agency reporter Long Ruiyun, Taipei)
A newborn developed a tuberculoma on the chest after receiving the BCG vaccine. The Department of Health stated today that the BCG vaccine remains the best method for preventing tuberculosis and urged timely vaccination to achieve protective efficacy.
A weekly report mentioned that a one-year-old newborn in Miaoli developed a "tuberculoma" about 5 cm in size on the chest one year after receiving the BCG vaccine in August last year. The case was suspected to be an adverse reaction to the BCG vaccination. During the process of seeking help from health authorities, the family did not receive a proper response, raising concerns among parents about the vaccine's safety.
Zhou Zhihao, Deputy Director of the Department of Health's Disease Control Bureau, stated that the BCG vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, and therefore, a small number of infants may experience localized adverse reactions after vaccination.
Zhou Zhihao said that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the BCG vaccine to be less than perfect, with an adverse reaction rate of 700 per million. The domestic adverse reaction rate is lower than the WHO standard, at about 55 per million.
Zhou Zhihao noted that adverse reactions include the development of granulomas and lumps on the skin, with lymphadenopathy, especially in the axillary lymph nodes, being more common. Some individuals may also experience inflammatory reactions in the bones and bone marrow, but these adverse reactions usually resolve after treatment.
Currently, the domestic BCG vaccination rate is 98%. Addressing parents' concerns, he said that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has also discussed the safety of the BCG vaccine and concluded that infants should still receive the vaccine.
He emphasized that infants who are not vaccinated with BCG have a 50 times higher risk of contracting tuberculous meningitis compared to vaccinated infants. Until a better vaccine alternative is found, administering the BCG vaccine remains the best preventive measure. Parents are urged to ensure their children receive the BCG vaccine on schedule.
The family of the boy believed that the health authorities handled the situation improperly. Zhou Zhihao said this might be due to a communication misunderstanding and has requested the local health bureau to assist with the compensation application and collect the boy's medical records for expert review. 1011017
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BCG Vaccine Safety: Health Department Clarifies
A newborn developed a tuberculoma on the chest after receiving the BCG vaccine. The Department of Health stated today that the BCG vaccine remains the best method for preventing tuberculosis and urged timely vaccination to achieve protective efficacy.
A weekly report mentioned that a one-year-old newborn in Miaoli developed a "tuberculoma" about 5 cm in size on the chest one year after receiving the BCG vaccine in August last year. The case was suspected to be an adverse reaction to the BCG vaccination. During the process of seeking help from health authorities, the family did not receive a proper response, raising concerns among parents about the vaccine's safety.
Zhou Zhihao, Deputy Director of the Department of Health's Disease Control Bureau, stated that the BCG vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, and therefore, a small number of infants may experience localized adverse reactions after vaccination.
Zhou Zhihao said that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the BCG vaccine to be less than perfect, with an adverse reaction rate of 700 per million. The domestic adverse reaction rate is lower than the WHO standard, at about 55 per million.
Zhou Zhihao noted that adverse reactions include the development of granulomas and lumps on the skin, with lymphadenopathy, especially in the axillary lymph nodes, being more common. Some individuals may also experience inflammatory reactions in the bones and bone marrow, but these adverse reactions usually resolve after treatment.
Currently, the domestic BCG vaccination rate is 98%. Addressing parents' concerns, he said that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has also discussed the safety of the BCG vaccine and concluded that infants should still receive the vaccine.
He emphasized that infants who are not vaccinated with BCG have a 50 times higher risk of contracting tuberculous meningitis compared to vaccinated infants. Until a better vaccine alternative is found, administering the BCG vaccine remains the best preventive measure. Parents are urged to ensure their children receive the BCG vaccine on schedule.
The family of the boy believed that the health authorities handled the situation improperly. Zhou Zhihao said this might be due to a communication misunderstanding and has requested the local health bureau to assist with the compensation application and collect the boy's medical records for expert review. 1011017
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E5……7% 8B% E7% 96% 91- 144208131. html;_ylt=Arl28nSga0r1FuJQu0cyRnvgBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTM2YzduYmdzBG1pdANJbmZpbml0ZSBCcm93c2UgVFcEcGtnAzRiZWViODIwLTY3MWEtM2ViZS1iYTRlLWEyNDM0NjJlOTVlYQRwb3MDbDEEc2VjA21lZGlhaW5maW5pdGVicm93c2VsaXN0dGVtcA--;_ylg=X3oDMTNiMzVla2w0BGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAMwYmM0YWJmZC1iZDNkLTNkZTUtODJkNi1mZTgxZDJlYmM4NDcEcHN0Y2F0A.WBpeW6t3zphqvnmYLnlr7nl4UEcHQDc3RvcnlwYWdl;_ylv=3