Several patients in S’pore experienced mild side effects after getting flu vaccines linked to South Korean deaths

SINGAPORE — Several patients who were given influenza vaccines linked to deaths in South Korea experienced mild symptoms, such as nausea or rash, after receiving the jab, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Oct 29).

The patients have all recovered, MOH added.

The ministry had issued an advisory on Sunday to healthcare providers and medical practitioners to stop the use of SkyCellflu Quadrivalent, manufactured by SK Bioscience and locally distributed by AJ Biologics, and VaxigripTetra, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and locally distributed by Sanofi Aventis.

According to the South Korean health authorities, the two vaccines, along with five others not available in Singapore, were administered to individuals who subsequently died there. 

MOH said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) received two reports this year involving patients who had symptoms of throat discomfort, nausea or rash after getting the SkyCellflu Quadrivalent vaccination.

Several patients who were given the VaxigripTetra vaccine since 2019 had also reported reactions such as rash around the injection site. So far, HSA has received seven reports of patients who experienced side effects. 

TODAY had earlier reported that several doctors in Singapore have administered Vaxigrip Tetra, but no patients have had complications.

Six out of the 14 doctors interviewed said that they had administered Vaxigrip Tetra previously — although only three had done so recently. None of the 14 doctors has used SkyCellflu Quadrivalent.

MOH said serious side effects associated with flu vaccinations are very rare and noted that there have not been any reported deaths from these vaccinations in Singapore.