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http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/CID/journal/issues/v36n6/30251/brief/30251.abstract.html

Clinical Infectious Diseases    2003;36:705-713
© 2003 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.
1058-4838/2003/3606-0005$15.00

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Oculo-respiratory Syndrome: A New Influenza VaccineAssociated Adverse Event?

Danuta M. Skowronski,¹ Barbara Strauss,^1,4 Gaston De Serres,⁵ Diane MacDonald,¹ Stephen A. Marion,² Monika Naus,¹ David M. Patrick,¹ and Perry Kendall³

¹University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and ²Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and ³Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Ministry of Health Planning, Victoria, British Columbia; ⁴Health Canada, Population and Public Health Branch, Field Epidemiology Training Program, Ottawa, Ontario; and ⁵Institut National de Santé Publique de Québec, Quebec, Canada

 

During the 20002001 influenza immunization campaign in Canada, a new adverse event, oculo-respiratory syndrome (ORS), was noted in association with administration of vaccine supplied by one manufacturer. The original case definition for ORS specified bilateral conjunctivitis, facial edema, or respiratory symptoms beginning 224 h after influenza vaccination and resolving within 48 h after onset. To characterize the spectrum, severity, and impact of ORS, we contacted persons who had reported any influenza vaccineassociated adverse event in British Columbia, Canada, during the 20002001 vaccination campaign. With use of a standardized telephone interview, we collected information from 609 (79%) of 769 eligible persons. Thirteen percent of ORS-affected persons reported onset 2 h after vaccination, 27% experienced symptoms for >48 h, and 42% considered the symptoms to be severe. The surveillance case definition for ORS for 20012002 was revised to include onset 24 h after vaccination, with no restriction on duration. ORS should be incorporated into annual influenza vaccine safety monitoring.

     Received 7 October 2002; accepted 25 November 2002; electronically published 5 March 2003.
     Financial support: University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.

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