12°c Overcast
17°c Mainly cloudy
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Agency lifts its hold on flu vaccine
TORONTO -- Health Canada lifted its hold on Novartis flu vaccines on Wednesday, saying a review of the products reassured the department the vaccines are safe to use.
Switzerland, which had also suspended use of the vaccines last week, followed suit. And it was reported that even Italy, which was the first in a chain of countries to halt use of the Novartis vaccines, is now reviewing its decision.
In fact, a senior official of Health Canada admitted the regulatory body might never have put a hold on the products if it had had details last week about why its Italian counterpart had blocked delivery of Novartis vaccines in that country.
Health Canada was finally able to get that information from Italy on Tuesday, and also used other sources of data to conduct a risk assessment on the products, sold in Canada under the brand names Fluad and Agriflu.
It turned out that Italy had taken the action based solely on a report from the company that it had found one batch of vaccine made at its Siena, Italy, plant that contained a higher-than-normal level of protein aggregates.
Novartis pulled that batch from the distribution pipeline. Protein aggregates -- which are tiny pieces of the killed viruses used to make flu vaccine -- were not seen in other lots of the vaccines made at Siena, the company has said.
"Once we confirmed that the information that the Italian regulator had made its decision on was the same as that which we got from Novartis and the same that the Swiss had got, then we felt comfortable with the decision," Dr. Paul Gully, Health Canada's senior medical adviser, said in an interview.
"If we had reassured ourselves very quickly that we were all working from the same information, then yes, it is likely that we would never have been in this situation."
Switzerland's drug-safety agency Swissmedic said in a release Wednesday it had placed a hold on use of Novartis flu vaccines after Italian health authorities reported there might have been contaminants found in the products.
But the agency said it was persuaded the visible particles were not external contaminants, but rather bits of viral proteins.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 1, 2012 A14
More Canada
- Back to Top
- Return to Canada
More Canada
(1 of 7 articles for today)
Sask. premier says time to abolish Senate
1:00 AM 0SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, once a staunch supporter of a reformed federal Senate, has given up the fight.
Wall ...
Poll
Most Popular Canada
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- 'I do not use crack cocaine': Ford ends week of silence on crack video scandal
- Duffy says he's won't quit Senate in first public comments since expense scandal
- An NDP MP loses his role because of lengthy history of non-payment of taxes
- Trudeau defends Liberal senator's handling of the Senate spending controversy
- Charges laid against three in Canada Revenue Agency fraud investigation
- Wife of Canadian trucker doesn't think husband could have caused bridge collapse
- Ethics investigations can only go so far, commissioner reminds Canadians
- Abrupt departure for Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff amid 'crack video' scandal
- Ford still mum, but sacks adviser
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Mother cries, yells as driver appears in court charged with killing boy on patio
- Harper to be on hot seat at Tuesday caucus after chief of staff quits
- Abrupt departure for Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff amid 'crack video' scandal
- Toronto mayor stays silent about alleged crack video as Trudeau, Wynne weigh in
- Baird takes the heat, Harper sheds little light on Senate spending scandal
- Canadian and American missing for nearly two weeks in Mexico
- Charges laid against three in Canada Revenue Agency fraud investigation
- First-degree murder charge to be laid in test drive death; remains badly burned
- Multiple fatalities after serious crash near U.S. border
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Canadian tourist dies after falling from hotel in Mexican resort
- Crack-cocaine video allegations 'ridiculous,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says
- Arrest made in case of Hamilton, Ont., man missing after pickup truck test drive
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Duffy says he's won't quit Senate in first public comments since expense scandal
- Vancouver Aquarium breeds endangered frogs, plans to release amphibians
- Should have taken action sooner: PM
- Act of God allows cutoff of compensation for residents impacted by landslide
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Canadian and American missing for nearly two weeks in Mexico
- Harper government buying ads to promote job grant program that doesn't yet exist
- Toronto, eh? Late-night TV cracks up audiences with jibes at Mayor Rob Ford
- Second suspect in test drive killing charged with first-degree murder
- Quake shakes Ontario, Quebec
- A look at the life and career of Ray Novak, prime minister's new chief of staff
- Canadians invited to weigh in on wind turbine proposal for Juno Beach
- U.S. bill would give Canadian snowbirds more time to spend in the sun
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Commanding officer of Canadian Forces base in Alberta charged with sex assault
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- What's snot OK with eating your own boogers?
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.