HALIFAX -- New Brunswick Public Health is investigating after three adults experienced ‘adverse events’ one week after receiving the flu shot.

All three people received the shot from a specific batch, which consisted of about 85,000 doses, between Oct. 2 to Oct. 20.

According to the province, the three affected adults experienced neurologic symptoms including numbness or weakness of the face and/or limbs.

Public health says more investigations are required to determine any causal link to the vaccine.

“The neurological nature and the severity of these adverse events from the affected batch are unusual for New Brunswick and we need some time to determine if they are linked to the vaccine,” said Dr. Cristin Muecke, deputy chief medical officer of health.

“In the last three years, we have had only one serious adverse event following influenza immunization reported.”

As a precaution, health officials have told all providers who have any inventory left from the specific batch, to stop administering those remaining doses until further investigations are completed.

“The risk of experiencing a severe adverse event remains extremely low and anyone who received a flu vaccine more than 10 days ago without an adverse reaction should not be concerned,” explained Muecke.

 All doses from other batches will still be administered, according to the province.

“Immunization is our best defense against influenza. There is still vaccine available that is not part of this specific batch and we encourage New Brunswickers who have not yet received the flu vaccine to do so,” said Muecke.

The province says they were able to identify the specific batch of flu vaccines thanks to their Public Health Information Solution system, an ‘electronic health record system that aims to improve the management of vaccines, immunizations and potential disease outbreaks’.

New Brunswick Health says they did share an alert to make other jurisdictions aware of the situation in their province.

Currently, New Brunswick is not aware of any similar adverse events related to the specific batch of flu shots that has been conveyed. 

“If you experience new onset of neurologic symptoms, seek advice from your health-care provider and let them know if you have received the flu vaccine in the last 10 days,” said Muecke.

To date, New Brunswick has received over 420,000 doses of influenza vaccine -- 26 per cent more than last year.