Suspended Vaccine Back in Use in Ontario
2012-10-31
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has advised doctors, nurses and pharmacists to begin administering two previously suspended vaccines – Fluad and Agriflu – as part of the province’s seasonal flu immunization campaign. Health Canada lifted the suspension on the two vaccines this morning after a review determined the vaccines remained safe to use. Click here to read a Q&A about the lifting of the suspension of Fluad and Agriflu vaccines (from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care). “Residents can be assured that all of the flu vaccines have been determined to be safe and effective,” states Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health. “We continue to encourage everyone to protect their health by getting their flu shot this season.” The Health Canada suspension was purely precautionary and was issued late last week after similar actions in Europe. Health Canada looked at the results of its own testing, conducted a health risk assessment, and reviewed information from its European partners and data submitted by Novartis in making its decision. None of the information reviewed indicated a safety issue. The annual flu vaccine protects against the strains of the influenza virus that are expected to circulate that year. Ontarians are encouraged to get immunized in the fall. The earlier they get the shot, the earlier they are protected. Ontario’s publicly funded flu campaign started in October. If you have any questions or would like more information about the EOHU’s community flu clinics, click here. For more information about Ontario’s flu campaign, visit www.ontario.ca/flu. |
