THE MINISTRY of Health (MOH) says it has received no reports of problems with vaccines used in the island's immunisation programme.
In response to concerns about the local programme following reports from Cuba of a "rare accident" where three children died after receiving measles shots last week, the MOH said vaccines used for the immunisation programme in Jamaica were obtained from sources certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
"Vaccines are obtained through what are known as revolving schemes and Jamaica's scheme is not the same as Cuba's," the MOH said in a release issued on behalf of the Health Minister recently. "This means the two countries do not obtain vaccines from the same source."
Last Friday, the BBC reported that three Cuban children died and dozens more went ill after receiving a single measles vaccine manufactured in India, a country that has a big export market for drugs.
The Cuban Health Ministry said a "rare accident" had occurred on May 22 after a group of schoolchildren were inoculated against the disease with apparently contaminated doses of the vaccine.
The vaccines were also reportedly certified by the WHO and purchased through PAHO. After the incident, the Cuban authorities halted their annual measles vaccination campaign while the causes of the deaths were investigated.
The MOH release stated that the vaccine in question in Cuba is a singular vaccine used for measles only and Jamaica uses a combined MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.
Dr. Barry Wint, Chief Medical Officer, said the MOH would continue to monitor the immunisation programme to ensure its continued safety.
