Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
By CBC News, cbc.ca,
Updated: September 30, 2009 1:58 PM
Canadians on hook for any H1N1 vaccine damages
If there are lawsuits over the H1N1 vaccine, it will be the federal government, not the vaccine maker, that picks up the tab for any damages awarded by courts.
Contracts between governments and vaccine manufacturers usually include an indemnity clause that exempts companies if there are problems with a vaccine, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, told reporters Wednesday.
The provision does not apply, however, in the case of malpractice ? if a doctor injects a vaccine the wrong way, for example.
Seasonal flu shots and H1N1 risk
Butler-Jones said there appears to be no increased risk of severe disease from the H1N1 virus among people who received seasonal flu shots, saying the "evidence, so far, is reassuring."
But the federal government, provinces, territories and researchers are reviewing preliminary, unpublished research that suggests people who received seasonal flu shots may be at twice the risk of getting a case of swine flu that doesn't require hospitalization. More information about this research may be released to the public next week, Butler-Jones said.
Studies in other countries have not shown an association between the seasonal flu shot and getting swine flu.
Some provinces have delayed giving seasonal flu shots to most people, partly because of the unpublished Canadian research and partly to avoid confusion.
Pneumonia infections
In the United States, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday that many Americans who died with H1N1 also had bacterial infections.
A study of 77 patients who had the H1N1 virus showed 29 per cent also had bacterial co-infections. About half of these infections were streptococcus pneumoniae, which can be prevented with another vaccine.
For years, Canada has offered pneumonia vaccinations to people at risk from secondary pneumonia infections, such as seniors and those with weakened immune systems, Butler-Jones said.
Some Canadians on the front lines of health care have expressed concerns about taking the H1N1 vaccine until more is known about it and the adjuvant it contains.
The adjuvant is added to the vaccine to boost the immune response in people who are vaccinated. It may also provide some immunity if the virus mutates, said Butler-Jones, adding he has "no hesitancy" about the adjuvant.
http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=21993620
Updated: September 30, 2009 1:58 PM
Canadians on hook for any H1N1 vaccine damages
If there are lawsuits over the H1N1 vaccine, it will be the federal government, not the vaccine maker, that picks up the tab for any damages awarded by courts.
Contracts between governments and vaccine manufacturers usually include an indemnity clause that exempts companies if there are problems with a vaccine, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, told reporters Wednesday.
The provision does not apply, however, in the case of malpractice ? if a doctor injects a vaccine the wrong way, for example.
Seasonal flu shots and H1N1 risk
Butler-Jones said there appears to be no increased risk of severe disease from the H1N1 virus among people who received seasonal flu shots, saying the "evidence, so far, is reassuring."
But the federal government, provinces, territories and researchers are reviewing preliminary, unpublished research that suggests people who received seasonal flu shots may be at twice the risk of getting a case of swine flu that doesn't require hospitalization. More information about this research may be released to the public next week, Butler-Jones said.
Studies in other countries have not shown an association between the seasonal flu shot and getting swine flu.
Some provinces have delayed giving seasonal flu shots to most people, partly because of the unpublished Canadian research and partly to avoid confusion.
Pneumonia infections
In the United States, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday that many Americans who died with H1N1 also had bacterial infections.
A study of 77 patients who had the H1N1 virus showed 29 per cent also had bacterial co-infections. About half of these infections were streptococcus pneumoniae, which can be prevented with another vaccine.
For years, Canada has offered pneumonia vaccinations to people at risk from secondary pneumonia infections, such as seniors and those with weakened immune systems, Butler-Jones said.
Some Canadians on the front lines of health care have expressed concerns about taking the H1N1 vaccine until more is known about it and the adjuvant it contains.
The adjuvant is added to the vaccine to boost the immune response in people who are vaccinated. It may also provide some immunity if the virus mutates, said Butler-Jones, adding he has "no hesitancy" about the adjuvant.
http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=21993620