High school students wait for vaccination at a site in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tùng

HÀ NỘI — Medics have ruled that the deaths of two teenagers were caused by severe allergic reactions, and were not in any way linked to the administration procedure or vaccine quality.

The ministry announced on Tuesday morning that two of the three cases that reported serious complications after COVID-19 vaccination in Hà Nội and Bắc Giang died. The causes of deaths in these two cases were related to grade IV anaphylaxis. 

Last Wednesday (November 24), 700 high school students at Sơn Động Boarding High School and Sơn Động High School No.2 in the northern province of Bắc Giang received COVID-19 vaccines.

Two with milder reactions were taken care of at Sơn Đông medical station in Bắc Giang and were discharged on Saturday afternoon. Two other students, both born in 2005, suffered from more serious reactions, including reports of dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain and nausea, and were transported to Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội. Both required life support (ECMO).

One passed away after five days of treatment, while the other's condition has stabilised.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old female student in Nhị Khê Commune in Hà Nội’s Thường Tín District has died a day after getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The director of the city’s Health Department, Trần Thị Nhị Hà, told the press on Tuesday morning that the vaccination process was closely monitored and that the organisation of the vaccination was strictly implemented in accordance with regulations and instructions. Injection staff were trained.

“Death after vaccination is an incident that no one wants,” Hà said, adding that after the incident, the department of health had a meeting of a professional council to consult experts, especially experts at the central level to review the entire vaccination process, as well as determine the cause.

The department set up five inspection teams to closely monitor the COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 12-17 at medical facilities to ensure the vaccination was carried out properly and safely, she said.

Việt Nam launched a national COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 12-17 years old from the beginning of November 2021, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The country plans to vaccinate about nine million children in this age group with about 18 million doses.

As of November 28, 2021, 34 out of 63 provinces/cities nationwide have implemented COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12-17, with more than 3.5 million doses administered. Of that, 684,131 children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Some provinces COVID-19 vaccination rate has reached over 60 per cent of the total population of 12-17 years old. They are Hà Nam, Quảng Ninh, Lạng Sơn, Đà Nẵng, Khánh Hòa, HCM City, Tiền Giang, Tây Ninh, Sóc Trăng, An Giang, Vĩnh Long, Cà Mau, Bạc Liêu and Hậu Giang.

According to provincial reports, 10,573 cases, or 0.3 per cent of total vaccinated children, reported common reactions after vaccination. Reactions were reported at vaccination sites.

Besides the COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12-17 years old, the Ministry of Health has asked localities to complete the first dose for adults from 18 years old and especially vaccinate people aged 50 years and older to reduce the risk of serious illness and fatalities.

A total of more than 17.2 million doses of Pfizer have been used for adults in Việt Nam. According to reports from provinces and cities, the common post-vaccination reactions recorded were similar to the manufacturer's recommendations. Sixty cases reported serious complications after vaccination, most of which are grade II anaphylactic reactions. — VNS