Asamblea del Colegio de Pediatría del Estado de Veracruz
Hace unos días, ante la gentil invitación del Colegio de Pediatría del Estado de Veracruz, tuvimos a bien acudir a la reunión estatal en el Puerto de Veracruz. Fue una reunión cordial, fraternal y muy motivadora. Percibí buena vibra y todos los colegas representantes de todos los capítulos del Estado nos hicieron sentir muy bien y nos recibieron gustosamente. El Dr. Erasmo Hernández Garza, Presidente del Colegio Estatal nos demostró su profesionalismo y gentileza y tuvo a bien presentarnos oficialmente ante todos los representantes como nuevos integrantes del Colegio Estatal. De nuestra parte agradecimos el gesto amable y solicitamos su respaldo para nuestra naciente Asociación y que a la vez contarán con nosotros para lo que podamos coadyuvar o colaborar con el Colegio. Dentro de los asuntos tratados están la realización de las Jornadas Pediátricas en Tuxtepec, Veracruz y Xalapa. Se nos otorgó 3 becas (inscripción) para nuestros socios para las Jornadas de Tuxtepec que son éste próximo 17,18 y 19 de Marzo, por lo que ponemos a la disposición de los socios éstas tres becas, y solo tienen hablarme por favor para solicitarlas. También nos harán un descuento de $ 500,00 en la Inscripción al Congreso Nacional de Pediatría de la Conapeme a realizarse en Guadalajara; solo se necesitará llevar un oficio de nuestra Asociación para que se haga ese descuento. Por nuestra parte, también les informamos a ellos las diversas actividades que ya venimos realizando; de nuestra página electrónica de la cual recibimos buenos comentarios; y de la organización de nuestras Jornadas Pediátricas programada para éste año y en las cuales quedamos que nos darán todo su respaldo.
Vamos bien, y viene lo mejor…
Saludos cordiales a todos los socios; y una sincera Felicitación a TODAS LAS COLEGAS PEDIATRAS Y A LAS DOCTORAS EN GENERAL, por el Día Internacional de la Mujer.
Dr. Norberto Luna
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Japan Stops Use of Pfizer, Sanofi Pediatric Vaccines on Four Deaths
March 6, 2011.
Japan’s health ministry suspended the use of pediatric vaccines made by Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Sanofi- Aventis SA after reports of four deaths following immunizations.
The use of Pfizer’s Prevenar, to protect children against meningitis and pneumonia, and Sanofi’s ActHIB, to fight Haemophilus influenzae type b, will be suspended until at least tomorrow, when a safety panel will meet to discuss the cause of the deaths, the ministry said in a March 4 website posting.
The temporary suspension is a precautionary measure following the deaths of four children who had previously been immunized simultaneously with several pediatric vaccines, said Victor Carey, the Sydney-based Asia Pacific medical director for Sanofi’s vaccines unit. About 1.5 million Japanese children have received ActHIB since it was approved in Japan in 2007, 15 years after it was first licensed in Europe, he said.
“No causal relationship has been established between immunization and these fatalities, but an investigation is under way, which we’re fully cooperating with,” Carey said in a telephone interview.
Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib, caused 2 million to 3 million cases of serious disease, notably pneumonia and meningitis, and 386,000 deaths in young children in 2000, according to the Geneva-based World Health Organization.
More than 200 million doses of ActHIB have been given to children in more than 120 countries, according to Paris-based Sanofi.
Multiple Vaccines
The deaths of the children in Japan occurred from March 2 to March 4, the ministry said. ActHIB was given to three of the four children, who were simultaneously vaccinated with at least one other vaccine from a different manufacturer, Carey said.
Pfizer’s Prevenar is a so-called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that aims to prevent invasive disease caused by serotypes of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium. The vaccine that protects against 13 serotypes generated $2.42 billion last year and a shot that fights seven serotypes had $1.25 billion in 2010 sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Surveillance in North America and Europe, where Prevenar has been used for at least a decade, hasn’t identified any major safety concerns, the WHO said in a 2007 report. Evidence suggests pneumococcal conjugate vaccines will have a “considerable impact on pneumococcal disease and overall infant mortality,” the United Nations health agency said.
Victoria Davis, a Pfizer spokeswoman, declined to comment specifically on the deaths in Japan.
“Pfizer thoroughly reviews and continually monitors all of its medicines and vaccines as safety is our top priority,” the New York-based drugmaker said in an e-mailed statement. “The company thoroughly evaluates all reported cases and works closely with health authorities to determine if there is any association with use of our medicines and vaccines.”
Pd.- Gracias al Dr. Raúl Madrazo, amigo y colega, por enviarnos ésta interesante información.
