Source: Yahoo.ca
By The Canadian Press
TORONTO – There have been 24 confirmed cases of a type of severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis in Canadians who have received an H1N1 flu shot, including one person who died after getting vaccinated, the head of the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.
Dr. David Butler-Jones said the person who died – identified in the media as a Quebec man in his 80s – met the criteria for having an anaphylactic reaction. But he said it’s still not clear whether that or health problems caused the death.
“There were a number of other situations. So exactly what the ultimate cause was or what the issues are, that will take some time, I understand, to investigate,” said Butler-Jones.
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can cause a person’s airways to close up and must be treated quickly with adrenaline.
Butler-Jones disclosed the information at an Ottawa news conference during which federal health officials revealed flu activity appears to be levelling off in some parts of the country.
They did not say where, though Butler-Jones did mention there has been a decline in new hospitalizations in British Columbia, where the current wave of activity first started.
Still, Butler-Jones warned a good chunk of the Canadian population is likely still susceptible to the virus. He estimated between five and 10 per cent have probably been ill and about 25 per cent have been vaccinated.
“Influenza remains an unpredictable disease,” he said.
“And reaching the plateau of the second wave in some communities does not mean that the pandemic is over. There is still the other side of the peak. And there remain millions of infections to be prevented.”
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ref. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091125/national/flu_vaccine_reactions