Guillain-Barre syndrome suspected in flu-shot woman

Health authorities are investigating whether a 67-year-old woman, critically ill after getting a swine flu vaccination, is another case of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The woman received the shot on December 23 and complained of general weakness last Tuesday. She developed fever, headache and vomiting on Friday and was admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital that day, a spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection said. Yesterday, she was in critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit.

The centre said there was not enough evidence to make a definitive diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, but an expert group would investigate if further evidence of the syndrome came to light.

'Further investigations are being conducted to determine whether she has sepsis, autonomic neuropathy, the syndrome or other conditions,' the spokesman said.

Earlier yesterday, centre controller Dr Thomas Tsang Ho-fai said the case of a 66-year-old woman, who died at home on Sunday after having a shot on Christmas Eve, was not related to the vaccine.

A 58-year-old doctor was confirmed as having Guillain-Barre syndrome last week, although it remained unclear whether the vaccine caused it.

The government also said yesterday it was considering extending the free swine flu vaccination programme to people outside high-risk groups.