THE WORLD : 2 Chinese die after flu shot
Two people in China who received swine flu vaccinations died in the last week, but at least one death appears unrelated to the vaccine and the other was being investigated.
The country’s Health Ministry reported the deaths late Friday on its website, the first time China has announced deaths with potential links to the Chinese-made swine flu vaccine.
An autopsy showed one victim suffered a heart attack, and “experts have basically ruled out the possibility that the patient’s sudden death was the result of immediate allergic reactions to the flu vaccines,” the ministry statement said.
Experts were waiting for more lab results.
An autopsy on the second person was scheduled for Friday, but no results had been reported as of this morning.
The statement gave no details on the two people, and phone calls to the Health Ministry went unanswered today.
The Health Ministry has said more than 13 million Chinese have received the vaccine.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
