After nearly three weeks of suspended vaccinations, Japan has cleared the path for Sanofi-Aventis' ActHIB and Pfizer's Prevnar--marketed as Prevenar--to return to the Japanese market as soon as April 1. The vaccines, ActHIB for hemophilius influenza and meningitis and pneumonia preventative Prevnar, were originally called off the market after five children between the ages of six months and two years died after receiving one or both of the vaccines. Soon after, the Japanese health ministry cleared the vaccines of any connection to the deaths, but the embargo remained in place.
Both companies released statements noting that the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare's Safety Measures Investigation Committee and Post-Vaccination Adverse Event Study panel reaffirmed the vaccines' innocence in the children's deaths.
- see the WSJ piece
- read Bloomberg's coverage