51 Year-Old Male in Coma After Free Flu Shot|台中51歲男子打流感疫苗後 昏迷指數3

A 51 year-old male in Taichung was hospitalized and went into a coma after receiving the free flu shot. He has been diagnosed with acute neuritis but whether his condition has something to do with the vaccination remains to be verified.The treatment would likely cost the family NT$300,000. An entrepreneur has expressed the willingness to provide financial assistance to help the family.


The 51 year-old man surnamed Lin doesn't have any chronic disease but was diagnosed with acute neuritis and remained in the ICU for 10 days after receiving a government-funded flu vaccination. The initial treatment was the plasma exchange which is funded by the National Health Insurance, but if necessary, the following Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment could cost the family up to NT$300,000.

One treatment is plasma exchange and the other option is the IVIG treatment, which would cost from NT$200,000 to NT$300,000 at our own expense. Therefore we could only do the plasma exchange.

Now an entrepreneur has come forward and expressed the willingness to provide financial assistance on the expensive medical treatment. Upon confirming the good news, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it has nothing to do with it.

The entrepreneur was aware of the situation and decided to provide financial assistance. It has nothing to do with the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Currently, Lin is still in a critical condition with a score of 3 on the Glasgow coma scale. While proving full assistance to the family, the Taichung Health Bureau also reminded the public that the causes of adverse reactions are still under investigation and that people should not panic over it.

The patient scored a 3 on the Glasgow coma scale. He is now being treated with the plasma exchange treatment. Afterward, if it is necessary, the hospital would use the IVIG treatment. Countries around the world are using vaccines produced by Sanofi. What we learned from the news the only country that has suspended the vaccine is Singapore while the central government of Taiwan continues to use the vaccine.

According to the director of Taichung Health Bureau, the IVIG is not universally effective, the result is dependent on individual patient's reaction. In the meantime, the Bureau will assist the family to apply for drug injury relief. An investigation into whether it was the vaccine that induced the acute neuritis is now underway by an expert department within the Ministry of Health and Welfare.



51歲的林姓男子沒有慢性病史，卻在注射公費流感疫苗後十天出現急性神經炎症狀，目前尚未脫離險境。一開始是以健保給付的血漿置換，接下來的療程如果考慮免疫球蛋白，醫療費高達三十萬。

林姓病患家屬(109.10.25)表示：「就是換血漿，洗他的血漿。然後另外一個就是打免疫球蛋白，但是那個要自費，而且一次就二、三十萬，然後，所以我們只能採取做血漿置換。」

對於接下來可能面臨高昂的醫療費，衛福部證實，有企業家表示願意提供協助，但與衛福部無關。

疾管署副署長 莊人祥表示：「企業的人士，知道這樣的狀況，所以就捐款協助，與衛福部是無關的。」

台中市衛生局表示，目前林姓男子尚未脫離險境，昏迷指數3，已全力協助家屬，但還是強調，疫苗反應不良個案都還在釐清因果關係，民眾不必過度恐慌。

台中市衛生局長 曾梓展表示：「大概昏迷指數，大概三分。他用每天用血漿置換術，來給他治療。治療一個療程以後，如果有需的話，再提供可能免疫球蛋治療。賽諾菲這種疫苗，是全世界都在施打，目前就新聞所知道，新加坡是暫停(施打)的，所以台灣，目前中央的處理，還是繼續的施打。」

台中市衛生局長指出，即使是免疫球蛋白治療，也需看患者的身體反應，並非人人都有效。也會協助家屬，向中央提藥害救濟。至於是否是疫苗引起的急性神經炎，目前由衛福部專業的單位調查中。