The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Wednesday that it was working on a proposal to amend the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act (傳染病防治法) to make an autopsy mandatory for people who die after having received a vaccine.

“If a person is believed to have died as a result of a vaccine, answers should be found as soon as possible so as to avoid a panic,” said CDC spokesman Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), referring to the death of a Taichung doctor’s seven-year-old son on Monday.

The doctor said his son’s death was related to his receiving the A(H1N1) influenza vaccine on November 19.

Chou said that autopsies can shed light on whether a death was related to vaccines. Such information may remain hidden if family members do not authorize an autopsy, he said.

Chou said that the proposal would be forwarded to the Legislature, but said he was unclear how long the process would take.

Former Department of Health minister Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) agreed with the CDC’s move and said that details of such cases should be made public as soon as possible.

“In addition, follow-up investigations on patients who suffer from side effects after taking shots must be made public, too,” Chen said.

He reiterated his support for the national vaccine program and said that vaccines were the best weapon against viruses.

“People have the right to know details of potential side effects or risks they will be taking if they receive the shots,” Chen said. “Then, it is up to them whether they want vaccinations or not.”

In related news, several doctors told a Taiwan Immunization Vision and Strategy seminar that people who are not vaccinated might catch swine flu during its next peak of infections.

“Usually, there will be two or three peaks during a flu epidemic and the impact will last between two to five years,” said Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎), an associate professor of pediatrics at National Taiwan University Hospital. “The virus will not just go away. It may become stronger after mutation and attack those who are vulnerable.”

TIVS chairman Lee Ching-yun (李慶雲) said that swine flu vaccines were made using a “dead virus,” which is safer than other vaccines made using a “live virus.”

“The side effects of swine flu vaccines can include dizziness or skin allergies but these symptoms usually go away within 24 hours,” Lee Ching-yun said.

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