Canada is following the lead of several European countries and suspending distribution of flu vaccine made by the pharmaceutical firm Novartis.
The decision relates to the discovery by the company of tiny clumps of virus particles in some batches of flu vaccines made at the Novartis production facility in Italy.
Health Canada, which announced the move, said Novartis has agreed to suspend distribution of its vaccines - sold in Canada as Fluad and Agriflu - while the department investigates.
Novartis makes 20 per cent of Canada's flu vaccines, which are made at the Italian plant.
The department is also telling doctors and others who administer flu shots to hold off using Novartis product for the time being.
"We think it's prudent, given the response of certain European countries to ... the request of Novartis - and they will be complying - to stop distributing and then to recommend to practitioners to refrain from using the [Novartis] vaccine just until this review is completed," Dr.
Paul Gully, senior medical advisory for Health Canada, said Friday.
Italy, Germany and Switzerland have suspended distribution of some Novartis flu vaccine.
In a statement issued Friday night, the company said more than one million doses of its flu vaccines have been administered in Europe so far this season and no unexpected adverse reactions have been reported.
It has already delivered about 70 per cent of its 91原创 order (roughly 1.5 million doses), again without hearing of problems in people who have the shots. The company said people who have received the shots are not at risk.
Novartis said finding minute clumps of virus protein in vaccines is not unusual. They said their vaccines passed quality inspections.
