Vietnam has asked the World Health Organization to clarify the safety of H1N1 vaccines to be provided to the country after higher-than-usual adverse reactions were reported in Canada.

The country is expected to receive 1.2 million does of vaccines produced by GlaxoSmithKline from the WHO this month.

Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the health ministry’s Preventive Health and Environmental Department, said they planned to vaccinate 800,000-900,000 women who are more than three months pregnant and 280,000 health workers between this month and next February.

According to the Drug Administration, Canada last month withdrew 170,000 doses of the Arepanrix vaccines after six negative reactions were reported. One or two allergic reactions are expected in a batch of that size.

Also on Wednesday the Ministry of Health reported that two more people – a 17-year-old girl and a 33-year-old man in the Mekong Delta of An Giang – have died of swine flu.

Swine flu has so far killed 46 people nationwide.

Source: Tuoi Tre