Sat Nov. 28 2009 11:37:09 AM
Hamilton adult comes down with autoimmune disease after getting H1N1 shot
The Canadian Press
HAMILTON, Ont. ? A Hamilton resident is ill with Guillain-Barre syndrome after getting the H1N1 flu shot.
However, the city's public health department says it's unlikely the vaccination caused the autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system and results in sudden weakness or paralysis.
Health Canada lists GBS as a rare side-effect of the H1N1 flu shot, and chances of getting it from vaccination are one in a million.
The unidentified Hamilton adult came down with GBS three weeks after getting the adjuvanted vaccine.
However, the patient also had a mild viral illness about 10 days prior to the onset of symptoms, which could be responsible for the GBS.
Chris Mackie, a Hamilton associate medical officer of health, points out the risk of getting GBS from influenza itself is much higher at four to seven per 100,000.
"It's 40 to 70 times as likely," he said. "The main message is that all evidence gathered to date suggests that this vaccine is quite safe. It suggests there is not an increased risk of GBS with this vaccine. And it suggests that getting the vaccine is a lot safer than not getting the vaccine."
The autoimmune disease has many causes other than vaccination, including respiratory and gastrointestinal viral infections.
There have been no other cases of GBS in Ontario linked with the H1N1 flu shot.
One to two cases of GBS were expected to occur by chance among Ontarians vaccinated. Since this is the first case, that means the vaccine is not statistically associated with GBS.
Health officials said this was not a severe case and the person is getting better at home.
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091128/091128_flu_gbs_vaccine/20091128/?hub=CP24Home
Hamilton adult comes down with autoimmune disease after getting H1N1 shot
The Canadian Press
HAMILTON, Ont. ? A Hamilton resident is ill with Guillain-Barre syndrome after getting the H1N1 flu shot.
However, the city's public health department says it's unlikely the vaccination caused the autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system and results in sudden weakness or paralysis.
Health Canada lists GBS as a rare side-effect of the H1N1 flu shot, and chances of getting it from vaccination are one in a million.
The unidentified Hamilton adult came down with GBS three weeks after getting the adjuvanted vaccine.
However, the patient also had a mild viral illness about 10 days prior to the onset of symptoms, which could be responsible for the GBS.
Chris Mackie, a Hamilton associate medical officer of health, points out the risk of getting GBS from influenza itself is much higher at four to seven per 100,000.
"It's 40 to 70 times as likely," he said. "The main message is that all evidence gathered to date suggests that this vaccine is quite safe. It suggests there is not an increased risk of GBS with this vaccine. And it suggests that getting the vaccine is a lot safer than not getting the vaccine."
The autoimmune disease has many causes other than vaccination, including respiratory and gastrointestinal viral infections.
There have been no other cases of GBS in Ontario linked with the H1N1 flu shot.
One to two cases of GBS were expected to occur by chance among Ontarians vaccinated. Since this is the first case, that means the vaccine is not statistically associated with GBS.
Health officials said this was not a severe case and the person is getting better at home.
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091128/091128_flu_gbs_vaccine/20091128/?hub=CP24Home