Algerian doctors sceptical about the H1N1 vaccine

Following the death of their colleague and head of the intensive care unit at the Setif Hospital (eastern Algeria) 30 hours after her vaccination against swine flu, doctors and health personnel have decided to boycott the vaccination campaign against H1N1 virus, calling at the same time the relevant ministry to momentarily suspend the operation until the release of the inquiry’s outcome over the death's circumstances.

• Meanwhile, both the health and justice ministries have sent experts on spot to supervise the autopsy carried out by the forensic scientists on the corpse in order to disclose the exact causes of the death.
• For their part, a group of doctors and medical personnel here in Algiers have refused to vaccinate themselves against the H1N1 virus until the release of the results of the inquiry over the death of their colleague who passed away last week 30 hours after the use of the vaccine.
• Talking in a press conference, the health minister’s advisor Salim Belkacem has ruled out the idea of suspending the vaccination campaign until the completion of the autopsy on the victim’s corpse”  The inquiry has been ordered by the public prosecutor and we are not allowed to discuss it or draw any conclusion concerning the causes of the death and assert whether it due to the vaccine’s side effects or other causes independent from it because all the elements indicate that the vaccine was  not the real cause behind this death since 09 other people were vaccinated form the same bottle as the late victim.”
• Talking in a press conference yesterday, the professor Mesbah has indicated that samples of the remaining 641 thousand dozes are currently analyzed by the three national laboratories in order to examine their conformity with the Algerian standards.