Flu jab linked to seven-fold increase in killer brain disease

<<< Back to Vaccines

by Carl OBrien

A FLU jab which has been given to thousands of people has been linked to a seven fold increase in a rare but deadly brain virus. However, health experts say the risk from the virus is minimal and they have encouraged people to continue receiving the flu vaccine. Research in the US shows that the jab can trigger the deadly Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a viral infection which attacks the central nervous system. American doctors have revealed that after a national flu vaccination campaign involving 50 million people, the number of GBS cases soared to more than 350 - over seven per million as opposed to the normal level of one per million. Just last week a 66 year old Scottish woman died two days after receiving the vaccine. Ireland shares the same variety of flu vaccines which are administered in Britain but the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), which judges the safety of medical products, said yesterday that it was unaware of any flu related incidences of the brain virus here.

It added that the US based Food and Drug Administration had not issued an official warning and, therefore, the IMB did not plan to do so in Ireland either. Following the discovery of the brain virus in Scotland, the countrys deputy chief medical officer, Dr Andrew Fraser, urged people to continue receiving the vaccine. He warned that each year in Britain up to 4,000 deaths can be attributed to the complications of flu, and these can rise much higher in epidemic years.

It is projected that 65% of people in particularly vulnerable groups will receive vaccination against the flu in Ireland this year. These groups include people over the age of 65 and younger people who have diabetes, chronic lung, heart or kidney diseases. The flu virus can cause serious complications, and even death, for people in these groups. However figures for last years flu vaccination campaign show that just 50% of these people received the vaccine.

Last year the flu virus caused havoc as patients clogged up hospital accident and emergency units, effectively paralysing the health service in the days after Christmas. This year a pilot flu surveillance system has been set up to identify the viruses in circulation and to estimate the effectiveness of the vaccination programme.

� Irish Examiner, 2000

Back to top of Document