Three people die after receiving flu vaccinations

Haaretz
Oct. 24, 2006

Three people have died in the past week after receiving flu vaccines, it was revealed Sunday.

The Health Ministry has instructed health facilities to immediately stop providing the vaccinations.

Army Radio reported that the victims were insured by the Kupat Holim Leumi health maintenance organization, and all three were vaccinated last week at the same branch in Kiryat Gat. The injections were all performed from the same vaccine pool.

The victims, ages 75, 70 and 52, had been vaccinated in previous years against the flu, and none showed abnormal reactions.

An initial investigation conducted by the Health Ministry discovered that all three had suffered from various illnesses unrelated to the flu.

Ashkelon District physicians are investigating the deaths. The Health Ministry has contacted the manufacturer of the vaccine, whose products are used all over the world, and requested that it perform extensive examinations of its laboratories.