New Brunswick Public Health is investigating a batch of flu vaccines after several people suffered adverse reactions after receiving the shot.
But provincial health officials maintain the risk of experiencing a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine remains low.
Health officials said Sunday that three adults who received the vaccine between Oct. 2 and 20 suffered neurologic symptoms.
The adults reported sustained numbness or weakness of the face and limbs within seven days of receiving the vaccine.
“The risk of experiencing a severe adverse event remains extremely low and anyone who received a flu vaccine more than 10 days ago without an adverse reaction should not be concerned,” Dr. Cristin Muecke, the province’s deputy chief medical officer of health, said in a news release.
Public Health is asking medical providers not to administer the specific batch of the vaccine, which consisted of about 85,000 doses.
Muecke said there is still vaccine available that is not part of this specific batch and New Brunswickers who have not yet received the flu vaccine are still encouraged to do so.
New Brunswick has received over 420,000 doses of influenza vaccine to date — a 26 per cent increase compared to last year.
“The neurological nature and the severity of these adverse events from the affected batch are unusual for New Brunswick and we need some time to determine if they are linked to the vaccine,” said Muecke. “In the last three years, we have had only one serious adverse event following influenza immunization reported.”
Public Health has advised the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada and an alert has been posted to ensure other jurisdictions are aware of the situation in New Brunswick.
Health officials said no reports of similar adverse events related to the specific batch of flu vaccine have been conveyed at this time.
Flu vaccine precautions ordered by Public Health.https://t.co/hyfjknOgZg
— Government of NB (@Gov_NB) November 15, 2020
