17 Canadians Sick From H1N1 Vaccine

tip of the iceberg

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584548,00.html


17 Canadians Sick From H1N1 Vaccine
Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Seventeen Canadians became sick after receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine, the
Toronto Sun reported.

Four people have Guillan-Barre syndrome, and 13 people had anaphylaxis, an
allergic reaction characterized by symptoms of anaphylactic shock, rapid
heartbeat, itching and/or difficulty breathing, said Andrew Morrison,
spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

One recipient of the vaccine, Donna Hartlen, is a 39-year-old mother who is
suffering from Guillan-Barre syndrome. The right side of Hartlen's face is
now paralyzed and she is not able to chew food.

It is not known why Guillan-Barre syndrome, in which the body's immune
system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, affects some people,
but not others.

Health Canada pulled a batch of the H1N1 vaccine, which was produced by
GlaxoSmithKline, when it appeared to produce higher rates of allergic
reactions compared to other batches.