A flu vaccine manufactured by Novartis was claimed to have killed 13 people in Italy. However, the experts at the European Medicines Agency (EU) said on Wednesday that there is no evidence that the said vaccine caused serious events leading to the death in Italy. The original report came from The Age, News.com and Watoday.com.au.
According to the news report, "The number of people who have died in Italy after being administered a flu vaccine made by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has risen to 13." They added that the deaths occurred within 48 hours of being administered and Italian health officers have issued a temporary ban on the vaccination bathes believed to be causing the deaths.
The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) suspended the use of two batches of the vaccine as a precautionary measure after they launched an investigation on the matter. The ban was imposed on November 27, but the AIFA concluded on Monday that the vaccine was safe and the EU agency's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee has now coincided.
The Fluad vaccine is used in people 65 years and older, especially in those who have various illnesses. It provides the essential protection against flu and influenza especially to those who are most risk for complications. Fluad, approved in 1997, has a healthy safety history, Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis said last month.
Flu vaccines are generally given to the public for protection against different strains of influenza and also, to prevent the spread of the illness in the community. Vaccination campaigns generally concentrate on people who are at high risk of serious complications if they catch the flu, such as the elderly and people living with chronic illness or those with weakened immune systems, as well as health care workers who are exposed to the virus often.