Science and Health
New Zealand kids react to flu vaccine
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-28 20:31
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WELLINGTON - New Zealand children have suffered convulsions as officials scramble to gather information following reports of similar reactions to the flu vaccination in Australia.
Several children under five-years-old in Western Australia suffered febrile convulsions -- a fit caused by a high temperature- - after receiving the influenza vaccine Fluvax as part of the state's free flu vaccination programme.
Five children had been reported to have suffered febrile convulsions in New Zealand since Friday.
The ministry was in regular contact with its Australian counterpart and a teleconference was scheduled for on Wednesday afternoon to try to garner more information.
While there had been more reports of severe reactions, including the five febrile convulsions, there were also more children receiving the vaccine and people were more likely to report reactions due to the media attention.
The ministry was trying to get more information so it could pass it on to the public.
Australia, New Zealand and Singapore were the only countries to use the vaccine so far this year. Most northern hemisphere countries begin flu vaccines in the lead up to winter.
Over 260,000 Fluvax doses were administered in March and the ministry said supplies were now likely to be low. More supplies of alternative vaccine were expected from Europe this week.
