A new development in the H1N1 Vaccine Saga is unfolding in Canada.
Whereas health officials are pushing for an acceleration of the
vaccination program, there is evidence of so-called "unusual adverse
reactions" including three recently recorded deaths directly resulting
from the vaccine.
In the meantime, health authorities have called for the withdrawal of
170,000 (higher risk) doses of the vaccine produced by
GlaxoSmithKline. The initiative, of which the importance is being
downplayed, is said to have come from the manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline, which expressed concern on higher than normal adverse
reactions to the vaccine.
"Canada's H1N1 flu vaccine manufacturer has asked the provinces to
temporarily discontinue vaccinating Canadians from a lot of vaccine
shipped in October due to a higher risk of adverse reactions, says a
Manitoba health official.
Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba's chief public health officer, said
Thursday that GlaxoSmithKline has asked that the October batch be
taken out of circulation because it produced serious and immediate
anaphylactic reactions in one out of 20,000 vaccinations, compared
with one out of 100,000 in other shipments.
"We've been asked by the manufacturer GSK to not use this vaccine
at this time pending further investigation," he said. (Winnipeg Free
Press, 20 November 2009)