Hospital in SP applies expired vaccines against hepatitis B

The Santa Lucinda Hospital, in Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo, applied vaccines against hepatitis B that had expired. The medical institution confirmed, through a note, the error in the procedure.

The hospital is private, but it also serves patients through the SUS (Unified Health System). The institution said that, as soon as the problem was found, it notified the Health Surveillance.

Even questioned, the medical unit did not report the number of people who received the expired immunizer or their age group.

The institution said that medical teams are monitoring the situation. According to the statement, it has not yet been defined whether there will be a need to apply a new dose of the immunizer.

“The problem with taking an expired vaccine is the risk of not generating the adequate immunity, expected for that vaccine”, said infectious disease specialist Bruno Ishigami, a Master’s student in Public Health at Fiocruz.

According to the specialist, there is a high chance that it will be necessary to apply a new dose of the immunizing agent. However, such a decision is taken jointly by health regulatory bodies. “Who will define is the health department of each location along with the State Immunization Program, also based on conversations with the National Immunization Program.”

Ishigami said that once the problem is identified, it is necessary to notify the responsible bodies.

“When you apply expired vaccine, regardless of which vaccine it is, you need to notify within the SUS report, so that the system understands that an error has occurred and, if the error generates any repercussions, it is already possible to initiate an investigation immediately”, he added.

Sought, the Prefecture of Sorocaba said that “the Epidemiological Surveillance and the Health Surveillance were informed by the private hospital of the case, they have already taken all the necessary measures and follow closely”.

The State Department of Health said that the GVE (Epidemiological Surveillance Group) of Sorocaba was notified about the event. “Routine vaccines are sent by the Ministry of Health and distributed to municipalities within the validity period. The state folder guides on the application of vaccination and the importance of checking the expiration date before using a vaccine, including technical documents with all the necessary ducts.”

The state ministry also maintained that the “municipalities are responsible for the application of doses, as well as for monitoring in case of adverse events”.