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  • Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

    [Source: Australian Broadcasting Company, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...22/2880521.htm - Edited.]

    Flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

    Updated 3 hours 27 minutes ago [April 22, 2010]

    The WA Government has suspended all flu vaccinations for children under five.

    In the past 24 hours, 45 children have been taken to hospital suffering high temperatures and febrile convulsions after receiving the vaccination.
    The Western Australian Government has suspended all flu vaccinations for children under five while it investigates a spike in admissions to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth.

    The Health Minister, Kim Hames, says 45 children have been taken to hospital suffering high temperatures and febrile convulsions after receiving the vaccination.

    Dr Hames says the program will be suspended until the department finishes its investigation.

    He says parents who have had their children vaccinated should take precautions.

    "If it's longer than 12 hours ago then there is no risk," he said.

    "But if it's in the last 12 hours they should make sure that they give their child paracetamol and then take every effort to make sure that the temperature of their child is settled."

    Dr Hames says parents can call Health Direct for more information on 1800 022 222.
    -
    ------

  • #2
    Re: Australia. Flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

    Flu vaccine ban for children under 5 after kids fall ill in Perth Rod Chester From: The Courier-Mail April 23, 2010 9:11AM

    AUSTRALIAN health authorities have announced a nation-wide ban on children under 5 being vaccinated for the seasonal flu.
    The move comes after Western Australian health authorities reported a batch of children under five suffered high temperatures and convulsions after being vaccinated.
    Australia's chief medical officer Jim Bishop this morning said the recommendation not to give the vaccine to young children was a ?precautionary measure?.

    "Until we know more we've suggested that we don't use that [seasonal flu vaccine] for the moment in children under five," he said on ABC radio this morning."I'm advising all doctors today not to use it until we know a bit more.
    "This may be part of the normal pattern once we see the whole picture, or it may be more than we would expect. Therefore I just think it's wise and precautionary not to use it in children under five.
    ?The first thing is to find out if this is an aberration due to just an aggregation of cases or is something important.
    So far health authorities in other states have not reported any problems, however Professor Bishop says that could be because WA has a particularly strong program on encouraging young children to be vaccinated.

    Prof Bishop said the van did not extend to the swine flu vaccine that could still be given as a separate injection.

    He said other groups at high risk of flu, particularly the elderly and pregnant women, should continue to be vaccinated for the seasonal flu.
    Prof Bishop says one of the first steps was to identify whether the problem was associated with particular batches or was a wider problem.

    Twitter: @RonanKelly13
    The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

      Halt flu vaccines to children: chief medical officer April 23, 2010 - 10:14AM


      Australia's chief medical officer has told doctors to stop giving the seasonal flu vaccine to children.
      The advice follows concerns the vaccine is adversely affecting children's health.

      "We suggest doctors and health professionals vaccinating children don't use the seasonal flu vaccine for the moment, until we can get the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to investigate this in more detail," Professor Jim Bishop told ABC TV.

      He said the concerns stemmed from a significant rise in the number of children developing a fever after receiving the vaccine.

      Western Australian Health Minister Kim Hames yesterday suspended the state?s free flu vaccination program for children under five, after some recipients went into a febrile convulsion - a fit caused by a high temperature.

      ??We need more information about what?s happened in WA, but also what we can now find out from all the other states from their experience,?? Professor Bishop said.

      ??If this has been brought up as a possible side-effect of this drug, then we ought to at least suspend its use until we know more.??

      In light of the seasonal flu shot suspension, Professor Bishop suggested children get vaccinated against swine flu instead, because that could be a health risk this winter too.

      AAP

      Twitter: @RonanKelly13
      The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

        More than 60 West Australian children may have had adverse reactions to the flu vaccine, the state's health department says.

        West Australian Health Minister Kim Hames announced yesterday that vaccinations for children under the age of five would be halted after a number of reactions to the three-strain vaccine, which includes swine flu.

        Australia's chief medical officer Jim Bishop today said health professionals nationwide should immediately stop immunising children under five with the vaccine, as a precaution.

        West Australian Health Department chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said a higher-than-expected number of reactions to the vaccine, which is offered free by the state government to children under five, had been reported.

        The Princess Margaret children's hospital (PMH) had reported 44 children under 10 had presented with febrile convulsions, of which 23 related to the paediatric flu vaccine.

        Of the 23 children, 12 were admitted to hospital.

        One child is in a critical condition following their reaction to the vaccine.

        Dr Weeramanthri said he had few details on the child's condition but that they were "seriously ill".

        The average age of children who had reactions to the vaccine was about two years, but children aged between five and 10 also experienced fevers and convulsions.

        Dr Weeramanthri said another 40 children under 10 had been taken to other hospitals in the state with febrile convulsions, and work was being done to assess if there was a link to the vaccine.

        "Advice from West Australian clinicians has said that there is a consistent clinical picture that they're seeing, with fever and vomiting around six hours and certainly within 12 hours of vaccination," he said.

        The West Australian health department is working with other states and territories to compile data, but there have been no reports of a spike in reactions to the vaccine in other states.

        "It's important to get an estimate of both how many have been vaccinated and how many children have potentially had reactions," Dr Weeramanthri said.

        The department and the Therapeutic Goods Administration had honed in on what they thought the cause of the increased reactions was, Dr Weeramanthri said.

        "The Therapeutic Goods Administration is working with the manufacturers on two lines of inquiry," he said.

        "One is the data from around the country about where we're getting any signals of increased reactions and which batches went where.

        "The second is to actually directly test the batches held by the various manufacturers for any impurities."

        There had been no reports of an increased reaction rate to the single pandemic swine flu strain vaccine.

        "So whether this is an issue about the combination of antigens ... in this vaccine, which has three parts compared to a single vaccine, is something that TGA is looking at," Dr Weeramanthri said.

        "That's the first time that particular antigen has been included, but one must remember that the strains of flu change regularly and so there are regular changes in the formulation of the flu vaccine."

        The West Australian Health Department had responded appropriately to the reaction and in a timely fashion, Dr Weeramanthri said.

        "As soon as we got information from clinicians, particularly at PMH this week that they were concerned they were seeing something more than what they normally see, and people have to understand there is a normal incidence of febrile reactions after vaccination in children.

        "Once we got that information we acted as promptly as we could."

        National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance clinical research head Professor Robert Booy said the experience was that children around Australia had demonstrated a good tolerance for the vaccine.

        Dr Weeramanthri said he was hopeful a safe vaccination program could be provided once the safety of the vaccine could be ensured.

        Case in South Australia

        One young child has suffered a convulsive reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine in South Australia, health officials say.

        But chief medical officer Paddy Phillips said it was still to be determined if one or more components of the vaccine were the cause of the South Australian case and the spike in cases reported in Western Australia.

        "There's no evidence at all that there's any particular linkage, at this stage, to any of the components because we don't even know if it's absolutely linked to the vaccine," Professor Phillips said.

        "Clearly there's a suspicion and that's why we're playing it safe and suspending the vaccine for five and unders."


        More than 60 West Australian children may have had adverse reactions to the flu vaccine, the state's health department says.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

          If anyone spots a report that names the vaccine used, please could they post the report even if it appears like a near duplicate of an earlier story? Thank you.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

            <small>APRIL 23, 2010, 7:59 A.M. ET</small> >CSL Suspends Child's Flu Vaccine



            ByNEIL SANDS

            MELBOURNE—CSL Ltd. halted Australian distribution of its pediatric influenza vaccine Friday and launched an investigation after Australian authorities linked influenza injections to severe adverse reactions in young children.

            Meanwhile, shares in the big maker of vaccines and plasma products fell 7.3&#37; Friday, in what traders attributed to unrelated worries about the market after U.S. rival Baxter International Inc. on Thursday slashed its full-year outlook. CSL said it didn't have any reason to alter its previous guidance.

            CSL, one of the world's largest influenza vaccine manufacturers, halted vaccine distribution Friday following reports that children have suffered seizures and high fevers after their injections. A company spokeswoman said the injection at the center of the concern was a seasonal vaccine that immunized children against three influenza strains, including H1N1, also known as swine flu.

            Australian Chief Medical Officer Jim Bishop suspended influenza vaccinations for all children under five years old. He said health authorities are seeking more information from CSL, the manufacturer, and to confirm which batches of vaccine were used in Western Australia.

            Dr. Bishop said the action was a precaution "due to a spike in the number of young children in Western Australia experiencing fever and convulsions following seasonal flu vaccinations."

            The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday that 23 children in Perth have been affected.
            CSL said in a statement that it was working with health authorities to investigate the problem. "The company takes the safety and quality of its products seriously and will provide more information as soon as possible," it said.

            CSL reported in its half-year results in February that the H1N1 vaccine accounted for 160 million Australian dollars (US$149 million) in sales in its CSL Biotherapies division. For the six months ended Dec. 31, the full company reported a profit of A$617 million on revenue of A$2.42 billion.
            Earlier Friday, CSL also issued a statement standing by its full-year profit guidance after its shares plunged on concerns about weakness in the human plasma market. Responding to an Australian Securities Exchange query prompted by the share sell off, CSL said: "The company is not aware of any reason to alter the guidance provided to the market at the time of its half-year results."

            /.../

            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised



              Flu jab fears grow as toddlers hospitalised

              Debbie Guest and Natasha Bita From: The Australian April 24, 2010 12:00AM

              CLINICAL tests were never carried out on the latest seasonal flu vaccine - a first-time combination of seasonal flu with the feared swine flu H1N1 - that has left a baby girl fighting for her life in a Perth hospital and sparked fits, fevers and vomiting in up to 60 toddlers across the country.
              Health officials were last night trying to determine what had caused the reactions in the children, mostly in Western Australia.

              The country's chief medical officer, Jim Bishop, yesterday ordered doctors in all states to stop giving the flu vaccine to children under five.

              Professor Bishop said non-swine flu strains in the vaccine may have caused the reactions.

              For the first time in the world, the flu shot rolled out in Australia last month combined two strains of seasonal flu, as well as H1N1.

              Professor Bishop said the Panvax vaccine - the swine flu jab - was "safe", but said the combined flu shot had been suspended for young children as a "precautionary measure" pending investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which approved its use last month.

              Panvax was tested on 400 children before its release last year, but the combined shot was not subjected to any clinical trials.

              CSL, which manufactures both vaccines, has stopped distributing children's doses nationally "to reduce the risk of inadvertent administration in this age group".

              One angry West Australian mother, who only wanted to be identified as Sharon, said if officials had acted earlier, the one-year-old girl in critical condition in hospital may never have become sick.

              Sharon had three of her four children vaccinated two weeks ago and all three needed hospitalisation after suffering from fevers, vomiting and fits. She said it was a frightening experience after her three-year-old, Alivia, turned purple and began shaking. One of her one-year-old twins, Lateesha, later started convulsing.

              Peter Richmond, associate professor at the University of Western Australia's school of pediatrics and child health, said the vaccine was not subjected to trials.

              "As with each year's seasonal influenza vaccine, this year's seasonal influenza vaccine isn't subject to specific trials in children before it's used," he said.

              He added that three trials of different combinations of seasonal flu vaccines had been conducted in children and no concerns had been raised.

              Professor Robert Booy, the director of clinical research at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance - who helped supervise the swine flu trials - said the combination of flu strains could not be the cause of the problems.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

                Flu shot fatality - toddler dies 12 hours after having vaccination
                By Suellen Hinde
                From: The Sunday Mail (Qld) April 25, 2010 1:40AM

                ?Twins given flu job; Ashley dies
                ?Authorities caution jab for under-5s
                ?Girl, 2, was fine 12 hours earlier

                A FAMILY is in mourning after their toddler unexpectedly died less than 12 hours after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination.
                Two-year-old twin Ashley Jade Epapara had been "perfectly fine" before dying at her Upper Mt Gravatt home, on Brisbane's southside, on April 9. Parents David and Nicole are shattered by the mysterious death of their baby girl. "It's dreadful, it's a very hard time," Mr Epapara said yesterday.

                National health authorities have ordered doctors to stop giving seasonal influenza vaccinations to children under five after dozens of serious reactions, including convulsions.

                Ashley's death is being investigated by police and the office of the coroner. A spokesman for Brisbane coroner John Lock confirmed yesterday that a report was being prepared.

                Mrs Epapara told The Sunday Mail that "tests are being carried out" on her little girl. But the young mother didn't want to comment further as she began shaking and her eyes welled with tears. Ashley's twin sister, Jaime, also received the flu jab at the same time and is believed to have been vomiting the night before her sister died.


                Asked whether he or his wife thought the influenza vaccine had anything to do with their child's death, Mr Epapara said: "It's very coincidental."

                More than 45 children experienced convulsions and fever, with some having to be taken to hospital in intensive care after receiving the vaccine in Western Australia.

                Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young confirmed 15 children in Queensland had been recorded as having an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

                Australia's chief medical officer Professor Jim Bishop said in a statement that the West Australian events were being "urgently investigated by health experts and the Therapeutic Goods Administration".

                The World Health Organisation last year said a "small number of deaths" had occurred in people vaccinated for influenza, with 65 million people vaccinated globally.
                Twitter: @RonanKelly13
                The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

                  Information on CSL's trivalent flu vaccine:
                  CSL, representing the combined expertise of CSL Behring, CSL Plasma, CSL Seqirus, and CSL Vifor, relentlessly innovates to help ensure patients and people get the treatments they deserve.


                  Seasonal influenza vaccine – paediatric adverse events
                  Seasonal influenza vaccine – paediatric adverse events
                  Melbourne, Australia — 23/04/2010

                  CSL Biotherapies is aware of reports of a number of adverse events following influenza vaccination of children. CSL is one of several suppliers of influenza vaccine in Australia.

                  CSL is urgently investigating these reports in association with the relevant regulatory bodies including the TGA and WA Health.

                  “As a further precautionary measure and in support of the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer’s decision advising GPs and immunisation providers to stop giving seasonal influenza vaccine to children under 5 years of age, CSL has taken the action to withhold further distribution of its paediatric influenza vaccine* nationally to reduce the risk of inadvertent administration in this age group” said Dr Darryl Maher, CSL Medical and Research Director.

                  The company takes the safety and quality of its products seriously and will provide more detailed information as soon as possible.


                  Download the release:
                  Seasonal influenza vaccine – paediatric adverse events (0.09Mb)


                  Media Contact:

                  Jo Lynch
                  Hinton & Associates
                  Phone: 61 3 9600 1979
                  Mobile: 61 411 208 101
                  Email: jo.lynch@hintons.com.au




                  *CSL’s paediatric influenza vaccine is for use in children aged 6 months to 35 months and is presented as a 0.25ml single-use syringe containing the approved seasonal influenza vaccine strains.
                  CSL, representing the combined expertise of CSL Behring, CSL Plasma, CSL Seqirus, and CSL Vifor, relentlessly innovates to help ensure patients and people get the treatments they deserve.
                  Last edited by Ronan Kelly; April 24, 2010, 11:44 AM. Reason: added press release
                  Twitter: @RonanKelly13
                  The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Australia. Seasonal flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

                    Link to information on Fluvax(R) Junior
                    CSL, representing the combined expertise of CSL Behring, CSL Plasma, CSL Seqirus, and CSL Vifor, relentlessly innovates to help ensure patients and people get the treatments they deserve.
                    Twitter: @RonanKelly13
                    The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

                      Little girl died in cot after flu jab
                      Jamie Walker From: The Australian April 26, 2010 12:00AM
                      THE bereaved father of a toddler who died within a day of receiving the seasonal flu vaccine said last night that he could not believe this was coincidental.
                      David Epapara spoke out after the Queensland Coroner was called in to investigate the little girl's death, which has intensified concern at the risk of side effects from the vaccine to children under five.

                      Two-year-old Ashley Epapara was found dead in her cot on April 9, the morning after she and her twin sister were inoculated by the family GP in Brisbane.

                      Mr Epapara told The Australian yesterday that both children had been "perfectly fine" until they received the combined jab for seasonal flu and swine flu.

                      "We don't know much about what happened at this stage," he said from the family's Mount Gravatt home, on Brisbane's south side.

                      "But it seems too much of a coincidence for a healthy girl, after having this vaccine, to just pass away. It is shocking."


                      About 60 babies and small children, mainly in Western Australia, have suffered fits, fever and vomiting after receiving the new seasonal flu vaccine, prompting Australia's chief medical officer last Friday to advise against its being given to under-fives.

                      The condition of a seriously ill one-year-old girl in Perth improved yesterday, with Princess Margaret Hospital listing her as serious and stable, an advance on her critical state last week.

                      Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said yesterday there was no proof that the seasonal vaccine was to blame for baby Ashley's death. "Until now, neither Queensland Health nor the relevant national body had been advised of, or were aware of, any death allegedly related to a 2010 seasonal flu vaccination in Queensland," Dr Young said.

                      "Queensland Health is working closely with the Coroner on this matter.

                      "Our deepest sympathies go out to the family at this time."

                      The Australian revealed last Saturday that clinical tests were not carried out on the seasonal flu vaccine, even though it was a first-time mix with swine flu.

                      Mr Epapara said the twins received their shots at about 3pm on April 8 and there was no immediate sign of anything "out of the ordinary".

                      Ashley's sister, Jaime, started vomiting at about midnight.

                      Ashley had slept on, seemingly fine. She was found dead in her cot at about 6.30 next morning, when her mother, Nicole, went to check on the girls.

                      "They have told us it could take six months for all the tests to be done, and then we will have to start the grieving process all over again . . . it's so tragic for us," the young father said.

                      Mr Epapara said the family accepted there was not enough known about their baby daughter's death to link it to the flu vaccine. However, it was difficult for the family to believe there was no connection when both children were healthy before being vaccinated.

                      A total of 23 children have been admitted to PMH in Perth since the middle of last month with febrile convulsions feared to be associated with this year's flu shot. A spokeswoman for PMH said there did not appear to have been further cases since vaccinations for under-fives were suspended on Friday.

                      Additional reporting: Nicolas Perpitch
                      Twitter: @RonanKelly13
                      The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

                        A YOUNG child has been treated in Royal Darwin Hospital for fever and convulsions following a vaccination for seasonal flu.

                        NT Centre for Disease Control director Vicki Krause said the incident happened in the past month, but could not say when.

                        She said the child was aged "three or four" but did not know whether it was a boy or a girl.

                        The incident came to light after a two-year-old Brisbane girl died less than 12 hours after having the vaccine.

                        And more than 45 children have suffered fever and convulsions after having the vaccination in Western Australia.

                        Health authorities have suspended vaccination of children under five until they can work out whether the vaccination is dangerous for children.

                        But Dr Krause said adults were still advised to have the vaccination, including pregnant women.

                        She said side effects were not uncommon.

                        "We know that in probably about 10 per cent or so people will get a fever following the vaccine, and possibly more in children up to five," she said.

                        With the Darwin child, Dr Krause said it was not known for sure whether the vaccination caused the fever.

                        "It was just felt to be a very precautionary measure," she said of the suspension.

                        There have been at least 15 cases of adverse effects reported in Queensland.

                        The vaccination covers three strains of flu predicted to be common in the coming year - H1N1 (swine flu), a strain of influenza A and one of influenza B.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

                          Hospitals to review flu vaccine records

                          <!-- Class 'push-0' just right-aligns the element so that the main content comes first. --><!-- cT-storyDetails --><CITE>April 26, 2010 - 11:24AM</CITE>


                          AAP

                          Officials will scour hospital records to determine the extent of bad reactions among children to the seasonal flu vaccine.

                          Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Jim Bishop on Monday said he'd ordered a review of hospitals records to better understand the scope of the problem.

                          It follows his decision on Friday to suspend seasonal flu shots for children under five after dozens of babies and young children, mostly in Western Australia, suffered bad reactions including fevers and convulsions.

                          Since then, Brisbane father David Epapara has revealed his two-year-old daughter Ashley was found dead in her cot on April 9, a day after she and her twin sister were inoculated by a GP.

                          The Queensland Coroner is now investigating the death of Ashley Epapara.
                          "... it seems too much of a coincidence for a healthy girl, after having this vaccine, to just pass away. It is shocking," Mr Epapara told The Australian newspaper.

                          Prof Bishop said he only learned of the girl's death on Sunday, and the cause was now a matter for the coroner.

                          He said he didn't know of any Australian children who had died as a direct result of the seasonal flu vaccine.

                          But he admitted clinical tests were not carried out on the latest version of the seasonal flu vaccine, which offers protection against Influenza A, Influenza B and swine flu.

                          "The seasonal flu vaccines have been used for about 40 years with an incredibly good safety record," he told the ABC.

                          "What we do each year is we don't change the vaccine - the vaccine is essentially the same - but there's very minor genetic changes in some of the strains, as we keep up with the usual change of the flu."

                          Prof Bishop said the changes didn't necessarily warrant a new round of testing.

                          He said there was nothing to suggest the swine flu component of the seasonal flu vaccine was the problem.
                          Tests done purely on the swine flu vaccine, which is available separately from the multiple vaccination that also includes influenza A and B, had not shown any problems.

                          "It doesn't seem to be causing this problem. We haven't had reports at all of any spike in febrile convulsions for the swine flu (vaccine)," he said.

                          He said everything possible was being done to determine the scope of problems with the seasonal vaccine.

                          /.../

                          More at:
                          Australia's chief medical officer has defended the safety record of flu vaccinations as he struggles to determine how many children have suffered bad reactions.
                          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                          -Nelson Mandela

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

                            Aussies must report flu vac concerns

                            26th April 2010

                            AUSTRALIA'S chief medical officer is urging medical staff and parents to immediately report any adverse reactions in children to the seasonal flu vaccine.

                            Professor Jim Bishop has told the ABC he only learned on Sunday of the death of a Brisbane girl 12 hours after she was given the vaccine.

                            The Queensland Coroner is investigating the death of two-year-old Ashley Epapara, who was found dead in her cot on April 9.

                            The previous day she and her twin sister were inoculated by the family GP in Brisbane.

                            Her father David Epapara suspects the vaccination had a role in his daughter's death.

                            "We don't know much about what happened at this stage," he told The Australian.

                            "But it seems too much of a coincidence for a healthy girl, after having this vaccine, to just pass away. It is shocking."

                            News of the death came after dozens of babies and small children, mostly in Western Australia, suffered adverse reactions to the seasonal flu vaccine, including fevers and convulsions.

                            Those cases prompted Professor Bishop to issue an alert on Friday, suspending the seasonal flu jab for children under five.

                            On Monday, he urged medical staff and parents to ensure all adverse affects were reported.

                            "We would depend on doctors and parents and others to report, and we'd urge them to," he told ABC radio.

                            He said Friday's alert was likely to result in a spike in reported concerns.

                            "I think the advantage of having an alert go out on Friday... is that it brings this into sharp effect," he said.

                            "And therefore we anticipate a high level of reporting and we'd encourage people to report."
                            /.../

                            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                            -Nelson Mandela

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Australia. Trivalent flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised, fatality

                              Flu vaccine records defended by chief


                              Australia's chief medical officer has defended the safety record of flu vaccinations, as he struggles to determine how many children have suffered bad reactions.

                              Professor Jim Bishop last week suspended seasonal flu shots for children under five.

                              He acted after dozens of babies and young children, mostly in Western Australia and Queensland, were admitted to hospital, many with high fevers and convulsions.



                              He defended the safety record of Australia's seasonal flu vaccination program, but admitted the latest version of the vaccine was not subjected to clinical tests.

                              "The seasonal flu vaccines have been used for about 40 years with an incredibly good safety record," he said.

                              "What we do each year is we don't change the vaccine - the vaccine is essentially the same - but there's very minor genetic changes in some of the strains, as we keep up with the usual change of the flu."

                              Prof Bishop said the changes didn't necessarily warrant a new round of testing, and there was nothing to suggest the swine flu component of the seasonal vaccine was the problem.




                              "We haven't seen a lot of signals from other states (beyond Western Australia) but that doesn't mean we stop looking for it."

                              A World Health Organisation expert on Monday cast doubt on suggestions a bad batch of the vaccine may have been to blame, saying the cases involved several different batches.

                              "If it was a single batch, then you might think that that might be the case," Ian Barr, deputy director of the World Health Organisation influenza centre in Melbourne, told the ABC.

                              "If multiple batches are involved, then that's less likely I think - but again we still need to wait."

                              The Australian Medical Association had said the children who experienced adverse reactions might have been victims of a bad batch of vaccine.



                              Australia's chief medical officer has defended the safety record of flu vaccinations as he struggles to determine how many children have suffered bad reactions.

                              Comment

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