A spokesman for the Health Department told www.di-ve.com that although the government had an option of buying the vaccines from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, it chose to buy them from Holland.

Malta has struck a deal with Holland to buy some of that country’s extra stock of jabs.

Last August, the government had announced that Malta would not be going for an early batch of swine flu vaccines, which were being manufactured without the usual rigorous human testing that uncovers any side effects and ensures the people’s safety.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that checks on many of the 30 deaths recorded following mass pandemic flu vaccinations had so far ruled out a direct link to the vaccines.

The fatalities made up a minute fraction of at least 65 million doses of swine flu vaccines which have been administered, said the WHO, citing data from 16 countries.

For every 10,000 doses of vaccines administered, only one report of adverse effect had been logged.

Of every 100 reports of adverse effects, 5 are serious cases such as death, according to the WHO.

GSK said when contacted that the Canadian batch had been recalled  in line with its emphasis on patient safety being paramount. It represents a fraction of the 15 million doses distributed in Canada. The company uses a plant in Germany for its European market, where it has sold millions of doses. Adverse reactions are on a part with those seen with the normal seasonal flue vaccine, a GSK spokesman said.

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