GlaxoSmithKline pulls swine flu vaccines in Canada

London: Pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline PLC said today it has advised medical staff in Canada to not use one batch of swine flu vaccines in case they trigger life-threatening allergies.

Company spokeswoman Gwenan White said that they issued
the advice after reports that one batch of the swine flu
vaccine might have caused more allergic reactions than normal.

"We have advised health care professionals not to use
that batch while health authorities and GlaxoSmithKline
investigate," she said.

White said the batch at issue, which has been
distributed across Canada, contains 172,000 doses of the
vaccine. She declined to say how many doses had been
administered before the advice to stop using them was given.

White said UK-based GlaxoSmithKline wrote to Canadian
health care professionals advising them to stop using the
batch on November 18.

She says a total of 7.5 million doses of the vaccine
have been distributed in Canada.

GlaxoSmithKline is the world`s second largest drug
maker by revenue. Its shares were down 0.08 per cent on the
London stock exchange at USD 21.16.

PTI

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