Japan Suspends Use Of Some Pfizer, Sanofi Vaccines

[villager]

Source: Dow Jones

Japan Suspends Use Of Some Pfizer, Sanofi Vaccines


By Shawn Schroter

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Japan's health ministry said it has temporarily suspended the use of Prevnar, made by Pfizer Inc. (PFE), and ActHIB, made by Sanofi- Aventis S.A. (SNY), as it investigates whether the deaths of four children are linked to the pediatric vaccines.

The children, whose ages range between six months and two years old, died after receiving either Prevnar, ActHIB or a combination of vaccinations, the ministry said in a statement. The deaths were reported between March 2-4.

Prevnar is a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, while ActHIB is a type b haemophilus influenzae vaccine.

In 2009, Pfizer suspended distribution and quarantined a batch of Prevnar in the Netherlands following reports of the deaths of three infants around the time of vaccination.

The health ministry said that the suspension will be in place pending the results of an investigation made by a group of medical experts into the deaths that is expected to be released on March 8.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201103070108dowjonesdjonline000011&t

[im1013]

1. Page not found....

:shrug:

[PoliticAverse]

2. New link...

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201103070108dowjonesdjonline000011&title=update-japan-suspends-use-of-some-pfizer-sanofi-vaccines

[villager]

3. thanks for the updated link!

:thumbsup:

[Godhumor]

4. Will be interesting to see the conclusions

Looks like the drugs on the Pfizer side came from 3 separate batches, so we're not talking about a contaminated lot. Still, from the details in the article, this looks like an exploratory move on Japan's part. My guess is the suspension will be lifted in short order.

[villager]

7. well, you're free to guess, of course

as anyone else would be...

[Godhumor]

9. Also speaking from a knowledge of preemptive suspensions in lieu of investigation

Signs don't point to a contaminated batch, which means either a) the whole drug interacts in a way that was not expected and will have to be adjusted or b) Japan took the sensible step of suspending the drugs with an investigation pending and will release the suspension when said investigation is concluded. History has shown that b) is many, many times more likely.

[villager]

11. though corporate history has also shown that a) recurs far more often than we'd like

...in terms of things being brought to market too hastily, et al...

[Godhumor]

12. So, we'll see. Japan has a history of ultra-conservative care when it comes these types of decisions

Banning US beef during the mad cow scare, quarantines during H1N1, etc. The country is following its typical structure in these kinds of cases. They are also extremely conservative when it comes to medicine in particular, as I can attest to from personal experience (Having to fight my doctor to actually get an antibiotic for my illness than getting a blister pack of two pills.).

This case has precautionary movement written all over it.

[villager]

13. hmm.. sort of the opposite of the U.S. approach then? Well, we will see

as you're fond of saying! ;-)

[Godhumor]

14. Yeah, yeah. By the way, the H1N1 quarantines were terrible, and it amazes me that it didn't earn

more international press. They were actually rounding up people suspected of having the flu. Extremely scary times.

The current push in measuring peoples waists and publicly posting that information to "shame" those into losing weight hasn't been all that pleasant, either.

[villager]

15. hell, whaling isn't any good, either. But as you say, now we'll see what we see...

n/t

[defendandprotect]

16. Too bad the US doesn't ... !!

Mad Cow may still be marching on in the form of Alzheimer's --

Takes 20 years for this infection to show up in humans --

and an additional long period in animals --

Pretty much only cows live long enough to show the effects --

[closeupready]

5. Extremists on board here will be quick to condemn Japan as "pro-polio".

Moderates will, instead, read the story to see what the concern here is.

[Godhumor]

6. I think the anti-vaccer extremists are a lot more likely to latch on to this than pro-science ones

Most pro-science people welcome investigations. My fear is that anti-vaccers will somehow parlay this into a "see, vaccines are incredibly unsafe!" meme.

[closeupready]

8. I know that some among the shills we have on board here argue in favor of a double standard,

that when they exploit stories to bash their adversaries as "pro-polio", it's okay, and when reasonable members do it, it's wrong.

So I guess we'll have to wait and see my prediction confirmed, which won't be long.

[Godhumor]

10. We will see.

So far the only response I've seen in another thread linking to this is on the anti-vaccer side.

I doubt you'll find many reasonable people who say "If the drugs are actually killing people they should keep taking them".

[defendandprotect]

17. Actually, it's more like being aware of this "for profit" and often criminal "Big Pharma" industry .

where, evidently, we're to believe that the only thing they do right and honestly

is make vaccines!!


:rofl: