Jan. 21, 2011. Feds Probe Post-Flu Shot Seizures Among Kids

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Jan. 21, 2011. Feds Probe Post-Flu Shot Seizures Among Kids

Postby catbirdsteed » Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:44 pm

This should probably go on the "big board" as it is very current, newsworthy and all that, but it is here in "health" for reasons of simplicity, I suppose.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/ ... 108.shtml/

Jan. 21, 2011
"Feds Probe Post-Flu Shot Seizures Among Kids
Investigation into Apparent Rise in Fever-Related Seizures in Young Children Comes after 10 Hospitalizations

Brigney Polio 4, reacts after getting a swine flu vaccination at Carlin Springs Elementary School in Arlington, Va., Jan. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP) ATLANTA - Government officials are investigating an apparent increase in fever-related seizures in young children after they got a flu shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said there have been 36 confirmed reports of seizures this flu season in children ages 6 months through 2 years. The seizures occurred within one day after they were vaccinated with Fluzone, the only flu shot recommended in the United States for infants and very young children. Ten of the children were hospitalized, but all recovered.

The FDA said it is investigating to see if there is any connection between the vaccine and the seizures, or if something else caused the convulsions. The agency said recommendations for using the vaccine have not changed, nor has there been any change in flu vaccine guidance."
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Re: Jan. 21, 2011. Feds Probe Post-Flu Shot Seizures Among

Postby catbirdsteed » Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:13 pm

Increased risk of narcolepsy observed among children and adolescents vaccinated with PandemrixR

1 Feb 2011
http://www.thl.fi/en_US/web/en/pressrelease?id=24103
Increased risk of narcolepsy observed among children and adolescents vaccinated with PandemrixR
1 Feb 2011
Among those 4-19 years of age who received Pandemrix®-vaccine had a manifold increased risk of falling ill with narcolepsy during the 8 months following vaccination in comparison to those unvaccinated in the same age group. Based on the evaluation done so far, the National Narcolepsy Task Force finds it probable that Pandemrix®-vaccination contributed to the observed increase in incidence of narcolepsy among those 4 -19 years of age. Currently, the most likely explanation is that the increase in narcolepsy is by joint effect of the vaccine and some other factor(s). At the moment, there is no evidence that the increase in narcolepsy observed in Finland could be attributed to the vaccine lots used. The results can be read in the Interim Report of the Task Force which is published on February 1st, 2011.

The association of Pandemrix-vaccination and narcolepsy was studied using extensive registry based data. Data gathered from hospital discharge registries on patients fallen ill with narcolepsy during years 2009-10 was linked with data from primary care records on pandemic vaccination. The observed association is so evident that it is unlikely that other so-called confounding factors could fully explain the phenomenon.

In Finland during years 2009–10, 60 children and adolescents aged 4-19 years fell ill with narcolepsy. These figures base on data from hospitals and primary care, and the review of individual patient records by a panel of neurologists and sleep researchers. Of those fallen ill, 52 (almost 90 percent) had received Pandemrix® vaccine, while the vaccine coverage in the entire age group was 70 percent. Based on the preliminary analyses, the risk of falling ill with narcolepsy among those vaccinated in the 4-19 years age group was 9-fold in comparison to those unvaccinated in the same age group. This increase was most pronounced among those 5–15 years of age. No cases were observed among those under 4 years of age. Also, no increase in cases of narcolepsy or signs of vaccination impacting risk of falling ill with narcolepsy was observed among those above 19 years of age.
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