A/H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine withdrawn in Canada due to high number of allergic reacti

[C.Ann]

I actually think it was probably people with egg allergies and for whatever reason that batch may have had more allergen left over in it. I have always had egg allergies that fortunately are not life threatening, but I didn't know until I was in my 20s and got an allergy test for something totally unrelated (hayfever). I would have never known otherwise...I really thought I might have irritable bowel/got a lot of food poisoning but it was so random I never bothered going to my doctor...so if somebody was allergic, didn't know, and had it injected into their blood stream with a product meant to ramp up their immune response I can see how that could be a real problem.

Well now it's been posted (with a link) that the vaccines in the US contain sulfa drugs and various forms of the penicillin family.. That TOTALLY knocks me right out of the box in terms of getting this shot if they all have it..

And - as has already been mentioned - the mom (in the allergic reation thread) could have been non-allergic to eggs a month ago and then got knocked for a loop when she got a second vaccine containing eggs.. I've been allergic to drugs in the penicillin family since I was a child, but the sulfa drugs came right out of the blue.. Had been on one recently - off - needed to take it again, and WHAM!! Major allergic reaction..

 

[DawnCt1]

Well now it's been posted (with a link) that the vaccines in the US contain sulfa drugs and various forms of the penicillin family.. That TOTALLY knocks me right out of the box in terms of getting this shot if they all have it..

And - as has already been mentioned - the mom (in the allergic reation thread) could have been non-allergic to eggs a month ago and then got knocked for a loop when she got a second vaccine containing eggs.. I've been allergic to drugs in the penicillin family since I was a child, but the sulfa drugs came right out of the blue.. Had been on one recently - off - needed to take it again, and WHAM!! Major allergic reaction..

I would seriously question the validity of that link. The US vaccines do not contain sulfonamides NOR anything from the penicillin family. These vaccines are made with the exact same process as the flu vaccines that we have been taking for years.

 

[C.Ann]

I would seriously question the validity of that link. The US vaccines do not contain sulfonamides NOR anything from the penicillin family. These vaccines are made with the exact same process as the flu vaccines that we have been taking for years.

Obviously I will question my doctor about it, but I believe there are other links floating around here that are from the manufacturers sites..

I'll let the doctor determine the risk/benefit ratio and take it from there..

 

[RitaE]

I'm allergic to Penicillin and I received a US H1N1 vaccine - no reaction. I'm not dead.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm allergic to Penicillin and I received a US H1N1 vaccine - no reaction. I'm not dead.

Are you 100% sure??

Glad it went well..

 

[DawnCt1]

Obviously I will question my doctor about it, but I believe there are other links floating around here that are from the manufacturers sites..

I'll let the doctor determine the risk/benefit ratio and take it from there..

If you are allergic to eggs, just like the other vaccine, you should not get it.
The H1N1 contains viral proteins, just like the other seasonal flu vaccine; no antibiotics, no sulfonamides. The question prior to administration is, "Are you allergic to eggs". Many people do not get flu shots from their physicians but at flu shot clinics operated by their local public health department, as my DS#1 did. It would be a shame if someone who was allergic to those drugs believed that the vaccine contained them and avoided an immunization that they need.

 

[C.Ann]

If you are allergic to eggs, just like the other vaccine, you should not get it.
The H1N1 contains viral proteins, just like the other seasonal flu vaccine; no antibiotics, no sulfonamides. The question prior to administration is, "Are you allergic to eggs". Many people do not get flu shots from their physicians but at flu shot clinics operated by their local public health department, as my DS#1 did. It would be a shame if someone who was allergic to those drugs believed that the vaccine contained them and avoided an immunization that they need.

No problem with eggs - it's sulfa drugs and all of the penicillin family.. I've had the regular seasonal flu shot in the past and only had a typical reaction: sore arm; chills; achy - but gone in 24 hours or so..

 

[DawnCt1]

No problem with eggs - it's sulfa drugs and all of the penicillin family.. I've had the regular seasonal flu shot in the past and only had a typical reaction: sore arm; chills; achy - but gone in 24 hours or so..

Hi Ann, I found this from the other thread and now I see where the confusion lies. Polymyxin is completely unrelated to penicillin. Not even near the same family. With regard to the "sulfate". That is a sulfur (as in the element sulfur) it is totally unrelated to Sulphonamides, which is what drugs such as Bactrim and Septra are.

* Polymyxin B sulfate ≤0.11ng – check for allergies to this antibiotic

But I found from the Novartis insert PDF that they use neomycin and polymyxin, both antibiotics, and polymyxin keeps being combined with that "B sulfate" ending....

With regard to neomycin, that is an aminoglycocide, again, completely unrelated to penicillin or SulfA drugs. Those substances are added during the manufacture of the vaccine to prevent bacterial contamination and then they are dialyzed out. Very little (micro grams) remain and are non reactive. Again, no penicillin or anything from the penicillin family. No sulfa drugs.

 

[C.Ann]

Hi Ann, I found this from the other thread and now I see where the confusion lies. Polymyxin is completely unrelated to penicillin. Not even near the same family. With regard to the "sulfate". That is a sulfur (as in the element sulfur) it is totally unrelated to Sulphonamides, which is what drugs such as Bactrim and Septra are.



With regard to neomycin, that is an aminoglycocide, again, completely unrelated to penicillin or SulfA drugs. Those substances are added during the manufacture of the vaccine to prevent bacterial contamination and then they are dialyzed out. Very little (micro grams) remain and are non reactive. Again, no penicillin or anything from the penicillin family. No sulfa drugs.

Thanks, Dawn! That's great news and I'll double check with my doctor.. I appreciate your efforts in finding and explaining that to me..

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i'm more nervous about them telling pregnant women to get the shot when we don't even know what effect it will have on the babies, than anything else.

 

[mefordis]

I read an article recently "Some Pregnant Women Fearful of H1N1 Vaccine." What is alarming is all of the comments from women who report having miscarried after getting the H1N1 shot.

http://miscarriage.about.com/b/2009...men-fearful-of-h1n1-vaccine.htm#comment-12992

It's a tough choice: risk getting H1N1 or risk a miscarriage.

 

[DawnCt1]

i'm more nervous about them telling pregnant women to get the shot when we don't even know what effect it will have on the babies, than anything else.

We know that there is no risk to the babies because pregnant women have received the flu vaccine for years. This is essentially the same vaccine. We do know that pregnant women are at great risk if they contract the flu; seasonal or H1N1. It isn't unusual for a larger hospital to have at least one or two pregnant women in ICU on ventilators during flu season. The "babies" are at risk with maternal flu because their mom's can miscarry. Pregnant women NEED the protection, which is why they are targeted as first on the list.