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Top doctor says very few adverse reactions to H1N1 vaccine
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`) X5 U2 U7 n( j4 Z GOTTAWA — The country's chief public health officer says few Canadians have suffered serious side effects from the swine-flu shot.
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Dr. David Butler-Jones says that of the 6.5 million people who have received the H1N1 vaccine, only 36 have had serious adverse reactions.5 N) f% `1 Q% {/ {/ \- l+ X* @
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"With any vaccination campaign, we expect to see some cases of serious adverse events," he said. "They are very rare, but they are part of all mass-vaccination campaigns and we expect to see a small number of them."
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More serious reactions can include life-threatening illnesses, hospitalizations, disabilities or deaths.
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One person is believed to have died from a serious reaction to the vaccine, Butler-Jones said, but the death hasn't yet been conclusively linked to the flu shot. He said it's possible the elderly person who died suffered from an underlying condition.
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, \: j' I6 G; d) x$ Q' zAll the serious side effects came after shots of the adjuvanted vaccine, which contains a compound to boost the vaccine's potency. Butler-Jones said that's likely because the vast majority of people being vaccinated are getting the adjuvanted vaccine.; J7 q( A5 g" j9 R
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A version of the vaccine without the booster is being held for pregnant women.
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( [2 g% P7 Z7 b* u& ]Butler-Jones said the serious side effects from the H1N1 shot fall into two categories: allergic reactions, or fevers and convulsions.% F2 M6 X8 ^; @) ~
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Mild effects, such as nausea, soreness, headaches and fever, are far more common reactions to the swine-flu shot - just as they are for all vaccines.
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: R" F# U9 J: t* N4 ^7 b1 |The federal government says it will list adverse reactions to the H1N1 vaccine on its www.fightflu.ca website.
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, E$ z L6 ~/ W( j$ H: \0 Z) vSo far, 198 people have died of swine flu. By comparison, seasonal flu kills between 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians each year. |
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