EMEA registers 38 cases of Guillian Barre and 11 cases of Multiple Scelorosis from swine flu jab

38 CASES OF GUILLIAN BARRÉ AND 11 CASES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOLLOWING
VACCINATION AGAINST H1N1





By Ulla Danielsen



The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has registered 38 cases of Guillian
Barré Syndrome, an illness with paralysations, following vaccination against
the swine flu (H1N1) since the vaccination campaign started.



Senior medical doctor, Doris Stenver, head of the department for consumer
safety at the Danish Pharmaceutical Board (Laegemiddelstyrelsen) 11 cases of
multiple sclerosis (MS) have been registered.



EMEA covers the 27 EU countries plus Norway and Iceland.



H1N1 MEETING IN COPENHAGEN



Doris Stenver participated Wednesday in an open meeting about the swine
fluat the pharmaceutical faculty at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.



Since that meeting, the figures communicated by Doris Stenver, have had to
be revised and are higher than what was presented at the meeting Wednesday.



The vaccine Pandemrix accounts for 23 cases of Guillian Barré Syndrome in
Europe.



Concerning Focetria the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has registered 13
cases of Guillain Barré Syndrome while Celvapan accounts for two cases.



Furthermore the three types of vaccine each account for one case of
Miller-Fischer Syndrome. That is a rare, acquired nerve disease that is
considered to be a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome.



11 CASES OF MS FOLLOWING H1N1-VACCINATION



Altogether EMEA has registered 11 cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) following
vaccination against H1N1 in Europe. Of these Pandemrix is responsible for
nine cases and Focetria for two cases.



Meanwhile, according to senior medical doctor, Doris Stenver, the prevalence
of Guillian Barré and multiple sclerosis among citizens vaccinated against
H1N1 is not causing concern, when compared with the prevalence of these
diseases in the background population.



"When you compare with background data for Europe as a whole, there is no
reason for panic, says Doris Stenver.



In Denmark a single case of suspected Guillain Barré has been registered
following vaccination. Some cases of sensory disturbances and paralysations
have also been registered but nothing like MS says, Doris Stenver.


As of January 11, 2010 32.4 million people in Europe had been vaccinated
against the swine flu.