A physician whose seven-year-old son died 32 days after receiving an H1N1 flu vaccine said yesterday that he intends to sue the Department of Health (DOH).
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Steve Kuo (郭旭崧) said yesterday that the CDC respects the Taichung County doctor’s decision but the Department of Health had no plan to change the nationwide influenza H1NI immunization program.
“It is still safer for you to get the shot,” Kuo said. “There is also no evidence at present to link the boy’s death to the vaccine.”
Kuo said the boy’s father called the 1922 H1N1 vaccination consultation hotline on Dec. 2 after his son developed a high fever and a skin rash. The boy had received an H1N1 shot on Nov. 19.
Kuo said Deputy Department of Health Minister Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) and CDC experts immediately held an emergency telephone conference with the child’s father to offer help, but the boy died on Monday.
“We are all sorry we were unable to help,” Kuo said.
After preliminary discussions, the experts concluded that the boy’s death was unrelated to the vaccination, Kuo said, adding that an immune system problem was a possible cause of death.
“The boy’s parents are welcome to request an investigation into the case to allow experts to make a more comprehensive, independent judgment,” Kuo said.
An inoculation program for people considered at high risk of contracting swine flu began on Nov. 1 and the nationwide immunization program began on Dec. 12 at 2,584 clinics and hospitals and 354 DOH vaccination stations.
Problems and side effects that have been reported so far from the vaccine include deaths among elderly recipients and dizziness among students. These have dissuaded some from getting vaccinated.
Health officials said the reports of dizziness caused some parents, to withdraw their permission for their children to receive the shots.
“A total of 331 cases of side effects from the vaccines has been reported, but all the symptoms were temporary,” Kuo said. “These cases will not affect our vaccination policy.”
The total number of hospitalized H1N1 patients in Taiwan since the outbreak began reached 817 yesterday, Kuo said.
Thirty-five people in Taiwan have died from the disease.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS