Latex Allergy Linked to Adverse Reaction to Swine Flu Shot
Health officials in Australia, where mass vaccination against swine flu
began eight days ago, said a person with an allergy to latex developed a
reaction to the shot.
Latex Allergy Linked to Adverse Reaction to Swine Flu Shot
By Jason Gale
Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) — Health officials in Australia, where mass vaccination against swine flu began eight days ago, said a person with an allergy to latex developed a reaction to the shot.
While the short-term reaction occurred at the time of vaccination, the cause hasn’t been determined, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. The nation’s drug regulator is investigating the case, the doctors group said.
The pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine and vial are latex-free, while 1-milliliter syringes in immunization packs contain the rubber material, according to the statement. Latex- free syringes are recommended for patients with a latex allergy, though there isn’t a proven association, the college said.
Fewer than 1 in 100 people are allergic to latex, according to the American Latex Allergy Association. Symptoms include hives, sneezing, stomach cramps and shortness of breath. Results of trials on the pandemic flu vaccine so far suggest the shots are as safe as those manufactured each year to fight the seasonal virus, the World Health Organization said in a Sept. 24 briefing note.
The Geneva-based agency is expecting side effects from the pandemic shot to be similar to those observed with seasonal influenza vaccines. Common side effects include local reactions at the injection site, such as soreness, swelling and redness, and possibly some systemic reactions, such as fever, headache and muscle or joint aches.
“In almost all vaccine recipients, these symptoms are mild, self-limited and last one to two days,” WHO said in the note. “However, even very large clinical trials will not be able to identify possible rare events that can occur when pandemic vaccines are administered to many millions of people.”
The United Nations health agency advises all countries administering pandemic vaccines to conduct intensive monitoring for safety and to report adverse events.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Gale in Singapore at j.gale@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: October 7, 2009 21:58 EDT
“
