Report: 36 Canadians Suffer Severe
Allergic Reactions While 200 Others Died
British drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline has warned the Canadian medical
authorities that a batch of its anti-H1N1 vaccine can trigger
potentially dangerous allergic reactions.
The Canadians have withdrawn the batch from use and are testing
it after it produced a range of serious reactions, notably in
the heart and lungs. The recall affects 172,000 doses of the Arepanrix
vaccine.
“We’ve been asked by the manufacturer GSK not to use
this vaccine at this time pending further investigation,”
said Manitoba chief medical officer Joel Kettner.
Thirty-six Canadians, including one little boy whose face swelled
up like a balloon, suffered severe allergic reactions after vaccination.
200 others died.
“It is a serious thing that has the potential to kill –
but fortunately seems to be relatively rare,” said Dr Neil
Rau, an infectious disease specialist.
