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United Daily News / Reporters Guo Anjia, Huang Wenyan / Taipei Report 2012.06.08
An 8-year-old boy, Li, from Minzu Elementary School, developed symptoms of hysteria and sudden sleep episodes after receiving a flu vaccine at school last October. In May of this year, he was diagnosed with narcolepsy complicated by depression at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. While the relevant authorities could not determine the cause, city councilors and the boy’s parents suspect the new flu vaccine may be to blame.
However, Zhu Yuru, director of the Disease Control Division at the Taipei City Health Department, stated that there are no domestic or international cases of children developing narcolepsy due to flu vaccination. Whether the two are related must be reviewed by the Vaccination Injury Compensation Review Committee under the Executive Yuan’s Department of Health, where experts will clarify the cause.
A recent official document from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital to the Health Department noted that while a Finnish study two years ago found that children aged 4 to 19 who received GlaxoSmithKline’s H1N1 flu vaccine had a nine times higher risk of developing narcolepsy compared to those who were not vaccinated, the flu vaccines procured in Taiwan are from Novartis, not GlaxoSmithKline.
“I will regret signing that (vaccination) consent form for the rest of my life,” said Li’s mother tearfully at a press conference yesterday, accompanied by City Councilor Zhang Maonan. She recounted that after her son received the vaccine at school last October, he developed weakness in his limbs, headaches, stomachaches, and an inability to focus in class, frequently falling asleep. He also became fearful of crowds, and small clinics were unable to determine the cause.
As Li’s mother wept, the boy suddenly said, “If talking makes you cry, then don’t talk,” and even covered her mouth at one point. Unable to restrain him, she could only watch as he tore and crumpled posters at the press conference, tossing and turning on the sofa, alternating between agitation and sudden sleep—falling asleep five times during the event.
Zhu Yuru stated that they will assist Li’s mother in applying for vaccination injury compensation, but noted that such cases are rare nationwide. Last year, Taipei City received only seven applications, with three cases approved—none of which were linked to the flu vaccine.
Deputy Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control, Zhou Zhihao, emphasized that there are no domestic or international cases of seasonal flu vaccines causing narcolepsy in children. He urged parents to follow the vaccination injury compensation process by applying through local health authorities, where experts can help determine the cause.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ HEALTH/ HEA1/ 7146125. shtml#ixzz1xBBdiL5B
New Flu Vaccine Blamed? 8-Year-Old Suddenly Weak and Drowsy
An 8-year-old boy, Li, from Minzu Elementary School, developed symptoms of hysteria and sudden sleep episodes after receiving a flu vaccine at school last October. In May of this year, he was diagnosed with narcolepsy complicated by depression at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. While the relevant authorities could not determine the cause, city councilors and the boy’s parents suspect the new flu vaccine may be to blame.
However, Zhu Yuru, director of the Disease Control Division at the Taipei City Health Department, stated that there are no domestic or international cases of children developing narcolepsy due to flu vaccination. Whether the two are related must be reviewed by the Vaccination Injury Compensation Review Committee under the Executive Yuan’s Department of Health, where experts will clarify the cause.
A recent official document from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital to the Health Department noted that while a Finnish study two years ago found that children aged 4 to 19 who received GlaxoSmithKline’s H1N1 flu vaccine had a nine times higher risk of developing narcolepsy compared to those who were not vaccinated, the flu vaccines procured in Taiwan are from Novartis, not GlaxoSmithKline.
“I will regret signing that (vaccination) consent form for the rest of my life,” said Li’s mother tearfully at a press conference yesterday, accompanied by City Councilor Zhang Maonan. She recounted that after her son received the vaccine at school last October, he developed weakness in his limbs, headaches, stomachaches, and an inability to focus in class, frequently falling asleep. He also became fearful of crowds, and small clinics were unable to determine the cause.
As Li’s mother wept, the boy suddenly said, “If talking makes you cry, then don’t talk,” and even covered her mouth at one point. Unable to restrain him, she could only watch as he tore and crumpled posters at the press conference, tossing and turning on the sofa, alternating between agitation and sudden sleep—falling asleep five times during the event.
Zhu Yuru stated that they will assist Li’s mother in applying for vaccination injury compensation, but noted that such cases are rare nationwide. Last year, Taipei City received only seven applications, with three cases approved—none of which were linked to the flu vaccine.
Deputy Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control, Zhou Zhihao, emphasized that there are no domestic or international cases of seasonal flu vaccines causing narcolepsy in children. He urged parents to follow the vaccination injury compensation process by applying through local health authorities, where experts can help determine the cause.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ HEALTH/ HEA1/ 7146125. shtml#ixzz1xBBdiL5B