Reuters is reporting from Toronto — Canada suspended use of three batches of a mumps vaccine this week after five people fell ill in the middle of a massive vaccination campaign. The government agency Health Canada advised against the use of the three lots of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine sold by MerckFrosst Canada, due to suspected cases of anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction characterized by swelling and difficulty breathing. “Because all of our vaccine producers now are all global, then we also reach out globally to determine whether or not there are any other adverse events or clusters of adverse events that people are seeing elsewhere related to this product, or related to any of these lots that may be gone elsewhere,” said Dr. Arlene King, a director with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

By Gene Koprowski, Editor-in-Chief