Ten Canadians die after taking bird flu vaccine

World Poultry | December 1, 2006

Following reports that patients taking Tamiflu can exhibit dangerous behaviour, news has surfaced that ten Canadians have died and at least 74 had adverse reactions after taking the flu drug.

Health Canada has been criticised for not issuing a public update about the drug sooner.

Reportedly, the public update eventually came more than two weeks after international warnings were posted of adverse reactions to the medication among children and youth.

The products prescribing guidelines now indicate that taking the drug can lead to strange behaviours, including hallucinations, delirium and self-injury.
Among those taking the drug who have exhibited dangerous behaviour, there have been 25 reported deaths around the world in the most recent one-year period.

Health Canada said it has "not received any such reports" of abnormal behaviour among young people in Canada.

But it has asked Tamiflus producer, Roche , to include updated information about possible adverse reactions on its Canadian labels.

The US Food and Drug Administration and Roche issued a warning about the drug on November 13.

Auditor-General Sheila Fraser's report released Tuesday included criticism that Health Canada doesn't issue timely and accurate health warnings to the public on a variety of issues.

Health Canada representatives said mismanagement and insufficient funds in a variety of areas, including drug programmes, could jeopardise public health and safety.

TAMIFLU is a very dangerous drug. SELL Roche!

Japan warns of Tamiflu deaths

Japan's health ministry has warned the anti-flu drug Tamiflu can induce strange behaviour leading to accidental death following the deaths of two teenagers who took the medicine, news reports said.

One 17-year-old Japanese high school student jumped in front of a truck in February 2004 shortly after taking the medicine, while another younger school student is believed to have fallen from the ninth floor of his apartment building this February, the Mainichi newspaper and Kyodo News agency reported.

The drug's Japanese distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical, issued a report to the health ministry after the first incident saying a link between taking the drug and the odd behaviour that led to the death cannot be ruled out, the Mainichi said.

The ministry is aware of one of the cases and is warning that taking the drug may lead to abnormal behaviour and accidental death, Kyodo News agency said, citing an unidentified ministry official.

While Tamiflu carries a label in Japan warning of such side effects as "abnormal behaviour" and "hallucinations", the cases are the country's first in which strange behaviour linked to the drug has resulted in deaths, the Mainichi said.

Comment was being sought from health ministry officials.

The two people who died had taken Tamiflu to treat cases of influenza and neither exhibited psychological problems before taking the medicine, the Mainichi newspaper reported.

The Japanese government announced plans earlier this month to increase its stockpile of Tamiflu to 250 million capsules, from 150 million, over the next five years in a precautionary measure against a global flu pandemic.

Tamiflu is one of the few drugs believed effective in treating bird flu, which has spread from Asia to Europe. Japan hasn't reported any infections in humans by the H5N1 virus, which has killed at least 64 people in Asia since December 2003.

Most human cases of bird flu have been traced to direct contact with sick birds, but health officials fear the H5N1 virus could mutate into a form that passes easily between people, possibly triggering a deadly pandemic.

someone slip it in Bush's tea...