Singapore not affected by tainted flu vaccines found in Hong Kong, Taiwan: HSA

SINGAPORE - Batches of flu vaccines from French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur were found to contain impurities, reported Hong Kong and Taiwanese media earlier this week.

But Singapore is not affected as the products are not available here, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in reply to queries from The Straits Times.

Hong Kong health authorities said 175,000 doses from a batch containing "white particles" had been delivered to the city's public health care providers, while about 75,000 doses had been administered, said South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Tuesday (Nov 27).

Taiwanese news agency Focus Taiwan said on Monday that Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration had confirmed that 518,000 doses had been found to contain suspicious white and black suspended matter.

The vaccines are supposed to be transparent liquids with no impurities.

The HSA told ST on Thursday: "The affected batches of Sanofi influenza vaccines reported by the Taiwan and Hong Kong health authorities were not supplied to the Singapore market and thus Singapore is not affected."

Hong Kong's Hospital Authority said all flu vaccination services had been suspended at hospitals and outpatient clinics, but were expected to resume gradually from Saturday.

"There has been no adverse reaction reported related to vaccinations with the affected batch," the authority added.

Sanofi Pasteur said in a statement to SCMP that the vaccines had been made in France and there was no evidence that quality, safety or efficacy had been compromised.

The company said medical facilities stocking the affected batch would be contacted and the doses replaced.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.