Australia Holds Flu Vaccine Responsible for Convulsions in Children

While the vaccination against influenza has started with a momentum in US, the Australian vaccine is proving harmful for many children.

As confirmed by Australia, its flu vaccine named Fluvax manufactured by Australian firm CSL led to convulsions in 99 children, but no fatal results had been reported and the children had recovered.

The Epidemiologists are warning that the effectiveness of the vaccine is not much as compared to its side-effects and thus, they are urging for improved inspections to rectify the problems being faced.

The cases of fever and convulsions after receiving flu vaccines came pouring in, in early April. The flu vaccination was thus halted for children under 5 by the Australian government. The vaccination was restarted in July but the vaccines employed were from other vaccine makers and not from CSL.

The Australian Department of Health and Ageing reported last week that the flu vaccine had caused fever and convulsions in 99 Australian children this year. Fluvax was given to 66 of them and CSL is stating that they are examining the problem.

Also, Heath Kelly, head of epidemiology at the state infectious diseases laboratory in Melbourne reported in the journal Eurosurveillance that Fluvax vaccine affects two or three cases with convulsions as against one case of prevention from flu.

But the findings were criticized by David Isaacs, Professor of paediatric infectious diseases at the University of Sydney.

Via : topnews