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One of these vaccination side effects is anaphylaxis, the medical term for severe allergic reaction symptoms. In Canada, an elderly man in his 80s has died from it. And if not for prompt medical care, more than 20 others could have died as well.
Doctors knew all along that anaphylaxis can occur and that it can be deadly. That is why, for example, they ask patients who have received a flu vaccine to stay in the clinic for a while after vaccination and not go home immediately. The don't tell you this, but the reason is to see if serious allergic reaction symptoms develop.
Doctors also play down the seriousness of such possible reactions. They assure that flu shot side effects are mostly mild, such as low grade fever, slight swelling at the injection site, or allergic reactions.
By simply saying "allergic reactions", doctors make such side effects seem rather harmless. After all, the average man in the street probably thinks of allergic reaction symptoms as nothing more than perhaps an itchy rash.
At end-November 2009, however, Canada reported an abnormally higher rate of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction symptoms. Initial reports of six cases were also considered very serious - serious enough for vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to re-call one batch of H1N1 vaccines comprising some 170,000 doses, of which about 150,000 doses had already been administered.
Those six cases worked out to about four in 100,000. The incidence is already very high compared to the expected rate of just 0.32 cases in 100,000, A few days after the initial news broke, the Public Health Agency of Canada revealed that there had been, in fact, 24 cases of anaphylaxis, including one death. So the actual rate is 16 in 100,000!
For many people who read the news about what happened in Canada, this was the first time they heard the word "anaphylaxis" and also the first time they realised how serious some of the flu shot side effects can be, even when doctors give them innocent-sounding descriptions like "allergic reactions".
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What is anaphylaxis?
Anaphalaxis is not just one of the vaccination or flu shot side effects. It is a strong allergic reaction that may be triggered by various substances including foods (such as eggs, peanut, gluten, etc), insect stings, drugs and vaccines. In rare cases, even tiredness from vigorous exercise can trigger anaphylaxis. Severe allergic reaction symptoms from anaphylaxis usually develop quickly, within minutes of exposure to the substance that the person is allergic to. If not treated immediately, the affected person may lose consciousness and die. The fact that only one person died in the latest Canadian outbreak suggests that the rest did receive immediate treatment. Medically, allergic reaction symptoms would be classified as anaphylaxis only if they affect at least two of these organ systems - skin, heart and stomach. Common symptoms include: Breathing: wheezing, shortness of breath, swollen tongue or throat that causes breathing difficulties, chest pain / tightness, nasal congestion, etc. The person may also have cough, hoarse voice, or itchy mouth / throat. Heart / Blood Circulation: weak pulse, rapid heartbeat, poor blood circulation causing the skin to turn pale / blue, low blood pressure resulting in dizziness, light-headedness, fainting and loss of consciousness. Skin: rashes, hives, swelling, itch, redness and feelings of warmth. Digestion: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdomen pain / cramps. Others: anxiety, feelings of “impending doom,” itchy / red / watery eyes, headache and uterus cramps. |
It is still not known what caused the higher rates of severe allergic reaction symptoms in Canada. But not surprisingly, Canada's head of PHAC, Dr. David Butler-Jones, was quick not to blame the death case on the flu vaccine, but to point out that the person had other medical conditions. This has been the typical response whenever an adverse event appears to be one of the flu shot side effects.
In any case, anaphylactic reactions to vaccination has happened before. When Australia rolled out its HPV vaccine campaign (against cervical cancer) some years back, it also saw higher than expected rates of anaphylaxis - of about 2.6 cases per 100,000 shots.
As anaphylaxis can be triggered by many different substances, and as vaccines are complex drugs made from many different ingredients, it can be hard to pinpoint the cause.
Most flu vaccines are produced in eggs and if there was residual egg protein, this can trigger allergic reaction symptoms in people with egg allergies. Most vaccines also contain antibiotics, which are another possible cause of allergic reactions. This is why it is important for people with a history of allergic reaction symptoms to inform their medical care practitioners before receiving a flu shot.
Or, better still, avoid the flu shot altogether since it is not known to be efffective anyway.
Yet another of the deadly side effect from the H1N1 vaccine is Guillain Barre Syndrome, a crippling disorder that can also lead to death. In the 1976 swine flu fiasco in the United States, 40 million Americans were vaccinated and the flu shot side effects included over 500 cases of Gullain Barre Syndrome, including 25 deaths.
Doctors will tell you that flu shots are extremely safe and that the risks of serious flu shot side effects are extremely small. Well, I did some research about risks and chances. Guess what I discovered - the risks of serious vaccination or flu shot side effects are actually much higher than the chances of striking the lottery. Think about that!