FW: [abmd] Alberta mumps clinics halted after allergic reactions

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[abmd] Alberta mumps clinics halted after allergic reactions

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<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/12/11/mumps-suspend.ht

ml> ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/12/11/mumps-suspend.html

Alberta has suspended its provincewide mumps

inoculation campaign after five people suffered severe

allergic reactions.

After receiving their mumps shots, five young adults

were reported to have suffered anaphylaxis, a rapid

swelling of the throat and airway which can lead to

respiratory failure or brain damage. But they were

treated immediately and have since recovered, health

officials said Tuesday.

Alberta's mumps outbreak began on post-secondary

school campuses, so the vaccination campaign targeted

students and staff.

(CBC)

Three cases happened in the Health

Region in south-central Alberta and two were in the

Capital Health Region, which includes Edmonton. All

the patients had a history of allergic reactions.

Alberta is in the middle of a mumps outbreak that

began in post-secondary schools in Lethbridge in

October. Almost 160 cases have been confirmed in the

province so far this year. The campaign, which began

last month, has inoculated about 62,800 people between

17 and 26 years old.

Mumps is highly contagious and spread through saliva.

It causes fever, swelling and pain in the parotid

glands, located in front of the ears and below the

cheekbones. In rare cases, it can lead to brain

inflammation.

Alberta halted its mumps clinics pending an

investigation by Health Canada.

Almost 160 cases of the mumps have been confirmed in

Alberta so far this year.

(CBC)

All five of the reactions came from one lot of

vaccine, but two other lots were also produced from

the same bulk products by pharmaceutical company Merck

Frosst's plant in Pennsylvania.

The majority of the doses were delivered to Alberta,

but B.C., New Brunswick, Ontario, P.E.I. and Quebec

also received some of the vaccines. Those provinces

have voluntarily suspended their mumps programs for

the time being, said Alberta Health.

Health Canada said normal anaphylaxis reaction to a

vaccine is one in a million.

" Obviously, our level of concern was great, " Dr.

Grimsrud, Alberta's acting chief medical officer of

health, said Tuesday afternoon.

Mumps shots continue for one-year-olds

Health officials said people who were administered the

mumps shots are in no danger because severe reactions

usually occur immediately after immunization.

People older than 26 and born in Canada should have a

natural immunity to the mumps, while those under 17

should have already received two shots, which would

fully immunize them from the virus, said Dr. Judy

Mac, Calgary Health Region's deputy medical

officer of health.

The shot, which protects against mumps, measles and

rubella, will continue for one-year-olds in Alberta

using unaffected supplies, but not for young adults

and kindergarten students to conserve doses, said

Grimsrud.

She said other provinces have been contacted to send

extra doses until a new supplier can be found.

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