The World Health Organization is launching an investigation into the purported link between H1N1 vaccinations and an increased risk of narcolepsy.
In a statement yesterday (February 8), members of the WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) commented that there was a "strong association" between the vaccine and an increase of narcolepsy cases.
This follows last week’s announcement from Finnish officials regarding the results of their own study. Researchers in Finland uncovered a nine-fold increase in risk of narcolepsy in children between the ages of four and 19 who receieved the Pandemrix vaccine against swine flu. Pandemrix is a vaccine approved for use in the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic.
In Finland, where Pandemrix was the only flu vaccine used, 60 children were diagnosed with narcolepsy in 2009 and 2010. Almost 90 percent – 52 of the 60 children – had been previously vaccinated with Pandemrix.
While Finland’s increase in childhood narcolepsy cases is by far the highest, similar links have been found in Sweden and Iceland as well.
The GACVS is currently reviewing the available data and has recommended that children continue to be given the Pandemrix vaccine until more information is available.