750000 doses of Controversial Pandemrix swine flu vaccine administered-here

Pandemrix is an influenza vaccine which has been authorised since September 2009. It was used during the 2009 influenza pandemic and was given to millions of children. The European Medicines Agency issued a warning about the use of the vaccine in July 2011. The EMA has said that the vaccine can still be supplied to children but only as a final resort in the absence of alternative jabs.

The safety review was initiated this year to investigate a possible link between the vaccination and narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder characterised by excessive day time sleepiness. The review followed an increase in the number of reported cases among children and adolescents in Finland and Sweden. The reported cases of narcolepsy occurred following the H1N1 vaccination campaign in late 2009 and early 2010.

It is estimated that over 750,000 doses have been administered in Ireland to date and the Irish Medicines Board has received over 600 adverse reaction reports for Pandemrix. The most frequently reported suspected adverse reactions were pain, swelling, redness, gastrointestinal symptoms to include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and flu like symptoms.

The drug is manufactured by Glax Smith Kline and the flu vaccine has now been withdrawn from use.

Speaking about the possible links between the flu vaccine and narcolepsy Liam Moloney, Healthcare Solicitor, said today, “The advice from the European Medicines Agency is that healthcare professionals should only use Pandemrix in patients under 20 years of age if the recommended annual seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine is not available. Patients who have already received the vaccine do not need to take any action but any patient who is experiencing narcoleptic symptoms, such as unexplained excessive day time sleepiness, should immediately consult their doctors to discuss their symptoms”.