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HEALTH

Two babies die in France after vaccinations

Health authorities in France are reviewing whether a common vaccine to prevent stomach illnesses should be given to babies, after it emerged this week that two newborns died following the inoculations.

Two babies die in France after vaccinations
Concern in France over vaccinations for gastroenteritis. Photo: AFP

A report has been submitted to France’s Directorate General of Health that raises a number of concerns about adverse effects after the vaccination for gastroenteritis, which is given to newborns.

It comes after the national drugs agency MSNA reported that two babies had died following the vaccination back in 2012 and 2014, revealed on Tuesday by French newspaper La Canard Enchaîné.

According to the report the babies died of an “intussusception” – a serious intestinal condition that sees one portion of the bowel slide into another.

It added that the vaccines Rotarix and RotaTeq, used to prevent infections in babies, have caused a number of worrying side effects, including the two deaths.

The two vaccinations, which are given orally, have been administered to babies since May 2006 and January 2007 respectively.

Since then 508 confirmed reports of adverse effects have been made, including 201 that were logged as “serious”.

The authors of the report from the Technical Committee of “Pharmacovigilance” have questioned whether all babies need to receive the vaccination.

Health authorities are expected to review the findings of the report in the coming days.

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HEALTH

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde has warned that, despite increasing activity at hospitals, it will be some time before current waiting lists are reduced.

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

The message comes as Løhde was set to meet with officials from regional health authorities on Wednesday to discuss the progress of an acute plan for the Danish health system, launched at the end of last year in an effort to reduce a backlog of waiting times which built up during the coronavirus crisis.

An agreement with regional health authorities on an “acute” spending plan to address the most serious challenges faced by the health services agreed in February, providing 2 billion kroner by the end of 2024.

READ ALSO: What exactly is wrong with the Danish health system?

The national organisation for the health authorities, Danske Regioner, said to newspaper Jyllands-Posten earlier this week that progress on clearing the waiting lists was ahead of schedule.

Some 245,300 operations were completed in the first quarter of this year, 10 percent more than in the same period in 2022 and over the agreed number.

Løhde said that the figures show measures from the acute plan are “beginning to work”.

“It’s positive but even though it suggests that the trend is going the right way, we’re far from our goal and it’s important to keep it up so that we get there,” she said.

“I certainly won’t be satisfied until waiting times are brought down,” she said.

“As long as we are in the process of doing postponed operations, we will unfortunately continue to see a further increase [in waiting times],” Løhde said.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we retain a high activity this year and in 2024,” she added.

Although the government set aside 2 billion kroner in total for the plan, the regional authorities expect the portion of that to be spent in 2023 to run out by the end of the summer. They have therefore asked for some of the 2024 spending to be brought forward.

Løhde is so far reluctant to meet that request according to Jyllands-Posten.

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