On the 29th, the Taiwan health department received a notice from the Kaohsiung Health Bureau that it found a flu vaccine with white suspended substance. The batch of vaccines was produced by Taiwan Guoguang Company, with a total of more than 82,000 units, and was delivered to nine counties and cities including Kaohsiung, Taichung , Chiayi, and Tainan. Among them, Kaohsiung has already attacked 8,900 units, and the surveys of other counties and cities are still under statistics. Currently, the use of vaccines in the same batch has been suspended. Guoguang, the vaccine manufacturer that had the problem this time, said that it is not ruled out that there is a problem with the syringe manufacturing process, because the two pharmaceutical factories use syringe manufactured by the same American manufacturer. In response, the health department said that it was still under inspection and asked Guoguang Company to submit an investigation report within three days.
Influenza (seasonal influenza ) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza virus , and it occurs frequently in winter and spring. The clinical manifestations of influenza include acute onset, fever, cough, headache, fatigue and muscle aches, etc. Most patients can recover on their own. Mild influenza is often similar to the common cold, but its fever and systemic symptoms are more obvious.
After the beginning of winter in 2017, the level of influenza activity in my country has risen rapidly. The winter influenza epidemic broke out in the Northern Hemisphere from 2017 to 2018, and more than 760 million people were known to be infected with the influenza virus worldwide, setting a record high in the spread. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that in recent years, the intensity of influenza activity in my country has been increasing. Since the beginning of winter in 2017, the level of influenza activity in my country has risen rapidly. From November 2017 to January 2018, my country reported monthly influenza incidences of more than 27, 120,000 and 270,000 cases respectively, which was the year with the highest intensity of influenza activity since the A H1N1 influenza pandemic from 2009 to 2010.
2011-2017 influenza epidemic incidence and incidence in China
data source: Drug Administration
Refer to China Report Network to release the "2018 China vaccine industry analysis report - Market operation trend and development trend"
Monthly statistics of influenza cases in the country from 2015 to 2018
Data source: Drug Administration
my country's influenza-like cases account for outpatient and emergency cases
Data source: Drug Administration
my country's influenza virus test positive rate increased in early January every year
Data source: Drug Administration
The most common side effects of influenza vaccines are pain at the injection site. Other possible side effects include redness and swelling at the inoculation site; low fever; redness or itching eyes; cough; dizziness; fatigue, etc. The side effects of vaccination are mild and temporary and can improve on their own. The possibility of severe adverse reactions caused by influenza vaccines is extremely small, far lower than the risk caused by severe influenza.
The flu season in my country is usually from November to April of the following year (the time and duration of peak influenza activity in various places is different). Usually, 2-4 weeks after influenza vaccination, antibodies with protective levels can be produced. Therefore, it is recommended that the vaccination is best from September to October of each year. In terms of population distribution in our country, it is best for northern people to receive influenza vaccination from September to November every year, and October to December every year is the best time for influenza vaccination in the southern region.
