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Concerns About Swine Flu Vaccine???? |
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Is H1N1 vaccine safe?
Because the pandemic virus is new, clinical testing is being done to gain essential information on immune response and safety of the vaccine. However, even very large clinical studies will not be able to identify possible rare events that can become evident when pandemic vaccines are administered to many millions of people. Results of studies completed till now suggest that H1N1 vaccines are as safe as seasonal influenza vaccines. Side effects seen so far are similar to those observed with seasonal influenza vaccines.
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What is the possible risk of squalene containing vaccines?
Squalene-based adjuvants have been used in some European influenza vaccines since 1997, with about 22 million doses administered over the past twelve years. The WHO states that no severe side effects have been associated with these vaccines. The safety of squalene-containing influenza vaccines have also been tested in two separate clinical trials, one with healthy non-elderly people, and the other with elderly people. In both trials the vaccine was safe and well-tolerated, with only mild side-effects such as mild pain at the injection site. |
What is the relation between squalene & Gulf War syndrome?
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One study found that deployed Gulf War Syndrome patients are significantly more likely to have increased antibodies to squalene than asymptomatic Gulf War soldiers; and they assumed that squalene might have been present in an anthrax vaccine given to these military personnel during the Gulf War.
However a study reported that about one in ten people have squalene antibodies in their blood, regardless of whether or not they received squalene from a vaccination. A later study confirmed this result, and also showed that vaccination with squalene-containing vaccines does not alter the levels of these naturally-occurring antibodies. A third study showed that these naturally-occurring antibodies were no more common in Gulf war soldiers than in the general population. |
How can a repeat of the 1976 swine flu vaccine complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome) experienced in the United States of America be avoided?
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an acute disorder of the nervous system. It sometimes develops following a variety of infections, including influenza. Studies suggest that seasonal influenza vaccines could sometimes be associated with an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome on the order of one to two cases per million vaccinated persons. During the 1976 influenza vaccination campaign, about 10 persons per million vaccinated persons developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) which stopped the vaccination campaign and led to the withdrawal of the vaccine.
The reason why GBS developed in association with that specific vaccine has never been firmly established. The potential for the development of a similar risk with future vaccines can never be firmly excluded.
Up till now, fewer than 10 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome have been reported among people who have been vaccinated (about 100 millions). These numbers are in line with normal background rates of this illness, as reported in a recent study. WHO has received no reports of fatal outcomes among suspected or confirmed cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome detected since vaccination campaigns began, and all cases have recovered.
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Thiomersal as a preservative, is there a risk from use in the vaccine?
Inactivated vaccines will contain thiomersal if they are supplied in multi-dose vials. Some products can have traces of thiomersal when the chemical is used during the production process as an antibacterial agent.
Thiomersal does not contain methyl mercury, whose toxic effects on humans have been well studied. Thiomersal contains a different form of mercury (i.e. ethyl mercury, which does not accumulate, is metabolized and removed from the body much faster than methyl mercury).
The safety of thiomersal has been meticulously reviewed by scientific groups. There is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults, including pregnant women.
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| N.B All data provided in this article are from the World Health Organization reports. |
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