Australia Flu Vaccine for Children Suspension #1

[Guest guest]

I've been a bit behind the last few days so sending out summaries of info

 

Australia - Flu Shots Suspended for Children after Injuries

 

Flu shots suspended after kids hospitalised

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/22/2880521.htm?section=justin

 

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. "

 

http://au.news./thewest/a/-/breaking/7099705/form-flu-jab-to-hospital-i\

n-hours/

From flu jab to hospital in hours

April 23, 2010

 

*********

Meryl Dorey <meryl

 

Honourable Dr Kim Hames MB BS JP MLA

 

Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Indigenous Affairs

 

Address: 28th Floor, Governor Stirling Tower, 197 St Georges Terrace,

PERTH WA 6000

Telephone: 9222 8788

Fax: 9222 8799

 

Dear Dr Hames,

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australian Vaccination Network,

Australia's national vaccine and health safety watchdog. Our

membership which extends across all Australian states and

territories, is most concerned about the recent high incidence of

adverse reactions being reported in children under the age of 5 in

Western Australia.

 

In regards to this matter, there are several questions we require

answers to in order to ascertain the extent of this problem and to

help parents and health professionals make the best possible decision

about the health of their children and themselves.

 

1- Is the AH1N1 portion of these vaccines recycled from the unused

doses of last year's swine flu shots.? If so, considering that those

shots are now at or past their use-by date, could this be the cause

of the current problem?

 

2- Is this vaccine being administered from multi-dose or single dose

vials? If we are using multi-dose vials, why was that decision made

since the risk of cross-infection and also the risk from the

mercury-based preservative, thiomersal, are unnecessary in a

non-emergency situation?

 

3- Is the vaccine used in WA the same vaccine being used across

Australia and if so, are these sorts of reactions being reported in

other locations?

 

4- Were all of these vaccines administered in a particular clinic

setting or were they distributed across WA?

 

5- Can the government release the Lot and Batch numbers of the

vaccines associated with this cluster of reactions so that others can

be made aware that it might be a hot lot?

 

6- Has there been a higher-than normal rate of reactions reported in

adults and adolescents who are receiving seasonal flu vaccines this year?

 

7- Did the 45 children who reacted to these shots over the last

couple of days receive any other vaccines at the same time as their

seasonal flu shots?

 

8- Is the Western Australian government aware of the published

results of a recent 40-year retrospective study conducted by the

Cochrane Collaboration into the effectiveness of influenza vaccines

in children? The results are displayed in the following graphs:

 

 

 

Dr Thomas Jefferson who is a worldwide expert on influenza vaccines

and who worked on this retrospective study, reported in the British

Medical Journal that, " In children under 2 years inactivated vaccines

had the same field efficacy as placebo,8 and in healthy people under

65 vaccination did not affect hospital stay, time off work, or death

from influenza and its complications. " BMJ 2006;333:912-915 (28

October), doi:10.1136/bmj.38995.531701.80

Considering the fact that this vaccine is known to be incredibly

ineffective in children and that children, in general, do not suffer

excess morbidity and mortality from influenza like illnesses, it may

not be the best use of government funds to vaccinate children against

a disease where the vaccine may be riskier than the disease itself.

 

I would appreciate your prompt attention to these questions.

 

Kind regards,

Meryl Dorey

on behalf of the Australian Vaccination Network National Committee

 

cc: Mr Roger Hugh Cook, Shadow Minister for Health; Mental Health;

Indigenous Affairs

Various media outlets

 

 

Meryl Dorey

meryl

Australian Vaccination Network