Manitoba health officials are investigating the deaths of two people who died within a week of getting the H1N1 vaccine shot.

However, the province's top doctor said it's unlikely the vaccine caused their deaths.

There have been 69 "adverse events" after people received the swine flu shot, and eight were considered serious, Dr. Joel Kettner said, adding that figure falls within the expected range of reaction to the vaccine.

The Public Health Agency of Canada describes serious adverse events as:

  • Events that cause life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis, where the body experiences a massive allergic reaction or convulsions brought on by fever.
  • Events that trigger neurological reactions such as Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome, where a person experiences a sudden onset of weakness or paralysis.
  • Events that result in hospitalization, disability, birth defects or death.

The PHAC says serious adverse events following immunization are rare.

More than 200,000 people in the province have received the vaccine since clinics opened in late October.

No information about the people who died, including their ages and where they lived, has been released by the province.