Swine flu vaccine Guillain-Barre syndrome MS
EMEA registers 38 cases of Guillian Barre and 11 cases of Multiple Scelorosis from swine flu jab
19 January 2010
38 CASES OF GUILLIAN BARRÉ AND 11 CASES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOLLOWING VACCINATION AGAINST H1N1
By Ulla Danielsen
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has registered 38 cases of Guillian Barré Syndrome, an illness with paralysations, following vaccination against the swine flu (H1N1) since the vaccination campaign started.
Senior medical doctor, Doris Stenver, head of the department for consumer safety at the Danish Pharmaceutical Board (Laegemiddelstyrelsen) 11 cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) have been registered.
EMEA covers the 27 EU countries plus Norway and Iceland.
H1N1 MEETING IN COPENHAGEN
Doris Stenver participated Wednesday in an open meeting about the swine fluat the pharmaceutical faculty at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
Since that meeting, the figures communicated by Doris Stenver, have had to be revised and are higher than what was presented at the meeting Wednesday.
The vaccine Pandemrix accounts for 23 cases of Guillian Barré Syndrome in Europe.
Concerning Focetria the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has registered 13 cases of Guillain Barré Syndrome while Celvapan accounts for two cases.
Furthermore the three types of vaccine each account for one case of Miller-Fischer Syndrome. That is a rare, acquired nerve disease that is considered to be a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
11 CASES OF MS FOLLOWING H1N1-VACCINATION
Altogether EMEA has registered 11 cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) following vaccination against H1N1 in Europe. Of these Pandemrix is responsible for nine cases and Focetria for two cases.
Meanwhile, according to senior medical doctor, Doris Stenver, the prevalence of Guillian Barré and multiple sclerosis among citizens vaccinated against H1N1 is not causing concern, when compared with the prevalence of these diseases in the background population.
„When you compare with background data for Europe as a whole, there is no reason for panic, says Doris Stenver.
In Denmark a single case of suspected Guillain Barré has been registered following vaccination. Some cases of sensory disturbances and paralysations have also been registered but nothing like MS says, Doris Stenver.
As of January 11, 2010 32.4 million people in Europe had been vaccinated against the swine flu.