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Two bad reactions from immunization in city

By: Carol Sanders

28/10/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 14

THE H1N1 vaccine isn't for everyone.

Since the mass immunization began in Winnipeg Monday, two people have had rare allergic reactions to it, according to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

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"We have had two incidents involving some allergic-type symptoms," said Dr. Sande Harlos, a WRHA medical officer of health. "This is what we're prepared to deal with."

The maker of the H1N1 vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, warns that up to one in 1,000 doses may result in an allergic reaction leading to a "dangerous decrease of blood pressure."

"That's why you're asked to wait 15 minutes afterwards," Harlos said. A severe reaction will happen within minutes of getting the shot.

By 3 p.m. Tuesday, 15,695 Winnipeggers had been immunized without incident. When someone reacts badly to the vaccine, there are medical staff on hand to help, Harlos said.

The vaccine recipient is taken to hospital to be kept under observation. Harlos said the two people who reacted badly to the vaccine -- one on Monday and one on Tuesday -- are OK. "They left in good condition."

Meanwhile, Winnipegger Janice Dehod is worried about her allergy to the mercury-based preservative thimerosal used in the vaccine.

"I know if it is in eye drops or contact lens preserver, it will make my the skin around my eyes puff up and swell in a really ugly way," she said. "I am not sure what thimerosal will do in my veins."

Harlos said unless someone has a severe egg or thimerosal allergy, they shouldn't have a severe reaction to the vaccine.

"Some people have a mild reaction when it's used topically. That isn't the same as a systemic whole-body reaction," Harlos said.

A severe allergic reaction is an anaphylactic response -- the throat closes, blood pressure plunges and airways tighten, said Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba's chief medical officer of health.

Dehod said she has had an adverse reaction to a flu vaccine in the past, but doesn't know if it contained thimerosal. She wishes Manitoba would obtain vaccine without thimerosal.

"I don't want to be one of those people that falls through the cracks and gets H1N1 because Manitoba Health did a pretty good job for most people and gambled with the health of those that are a little more sensitive to preservative."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

 

Mercury downplayed

Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative. In large concentrations, or over extended periods of exposure, mercury can cause damage to the brain and kidneys. However, the Public Health Agency of Canada says the amount of mercury in the H1N1 flu vaccine is significantly less than in a can of tuna.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended a long-term goal of removing thimerosal from vaccines, provided that safe alternatives to this preservative can be found. "This will help to reduce unnecessary environmental exposure to mercury."

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 28, 2009 A6

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14 Commentscomment icon

My son was one of the two people to get a bad reaction its happen'd seconds after he got it and it scared the bleep bleep outta me... the nurse and paramedics responded immediately and im thankful for that and im thankful my son okay

To F.Dixon up there in the comment page.

Mercury is in all the H1N1 vaccines. Here is the insert of the vaccine for Canada and it states they have it. Thanks for repeating false information from the internet and making people more comfortable with poisoning themselves. Good work.

http://www.gsk.ca/english/docs-pdf/Arepanrix_PIL_CAPA01v01.pdf

Rolling Stone Magazine broke a story proving vaccine manufacturers were aware that thimerasol in the vaccines was directly linked to Autism and they covered it up. Here is the story. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7395411/deadly_immunity

The documentary Autism: Made in The USA explains the direct link of vaccines to brain damage in children as well as adults.

You cannot be allergic to mercury. It is a poison because it kills the immune system as opposed to irritating it. It may be good for some people out there in Winnipeg to know these things.

@cptkirk you are so wrong.
Thats just in the last two days. Wait for a couple months and even years and see what happends.

The panick over whether or not this vacine is safe is driving me crazy! This vacine is not diffrent from any other flu vacine. H1N1 vacine has been part of the normal flu shot since 1977. The only diffrence this year is that there are 2 shots instead of one. Yes its a diffrent strain, but there is a diffrent strain of flu EVERY YEAR. The process is exactally the same, they take some dead virus, some persertive (thimiserol, that contains mercury, but is also in, cosmetics like mascara, eye drops, ear drops, nasal spray and other vacines that you probally had as a child) and what ever other stuff they put in the regular flu vacine. It is so easy for media to sell people parinoria. You are only hearing about all of this because it is a hot topic and sells air time, what you dont hear about is how many times you have already put this stuff in your body. The worse that will happen is your arm gets sore and you feel tired for a few days.

@cptkirk: You're so right.

I am still undecided. My initial take was to wait it out a bit. I'm reluctant to put my entire trust in an, as yet, unproven vaccine. I've done heaps of online research, trying to weed out the sensational from the rational and factual (tough to do!).

This is directly from Health Canada's web page regarding the H1N1 vaccine:
Q1. What is the difference between an adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted vaccine?

An adjuvanted vaccine is a vaccine that includes a substance that boosts an individual's immune system and increases their response to a vaccine. An unadjuvanted vaccine has no “booster” element.

Adjuvanted vaccines are included in common vaccines such as tetanus and Hep B. The adjuvant in Canada’s H1N1 flu vaccine is made up of natural ingredients such as water, squalene oil and vitamin E. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/faq_rg_h1n1-eng.php

I cannot find a complete listing on Health Canada's web site of the ingredients in the vaccine.

Squalene, itself, is controversial. Add thimerosal into the mix and, well, people are bound to be concerned. Remember Gulf War Syndrome? Numerous studies were done, some blaming and others absolving the adjuvants. Consider Gardasil, the hpv vaccine. Alarming numbers of deaths in otherwise healthy teenage girls (not even mentioning the huge numbers of horrendous side effects being reported).

What we don't know is what the % risk of death from this flu is. Which is the lesser of two "possible" evils?

This should have been phrased "Two people suffered immediate reactions to being vaccinated"

So, almost 16,000 people and two of them get a serious medical reaction. And people think that the side effects are dangerous and going to happen to them. Give your head a shake, in Winnipeg you're almost as likely to get murdered on the way to the flu clinic.

seiously i was one of the people who got the reaction haha that was horrible haha

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