Swine flu vaccine side effects?

[Vale]

In Italy will be out in October the new vaccine for the swine flu, but the Italian version of the vaccine seems to contain a compound called MF59 (squalene), which is naturally contained on our brain and nervous system and also on the olive oil and it is good for you for its antioxidant effects.

However if MF59 is injected on our body can cause your humane system to overreact and attack the nervous system and trigger quite serious illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis.

Apparently the USA version of the vaccine doesn't contain MF59. Anyone knows anything about it?

Would you refuse swine flu jab?

The Italian version of the vaccine contains a compound called MF59 (squalene).

When MF59 is injected into our body can cause your hymune system to overreact and attack the nervous system and trigger quite serious illnesses such as MS.

The USA version of the vaccine doesn't contain MF59. Anyone knows anything about it?

Yes I do but what are these "hymune" effects you describe?

I dread to think

You know something after seeing dds asthma flare badly at the moment with a virus that the gp thinks prob isn't flu (but is probably instead is a nasty unnamed virus) I have decided that unless there is overwhelming evidence that makes me think its not a good idea then YES she will be having the vaccine as soon as its offered. These last few days have been horrible and I dread to think what flu would do to her asthma.

Well, according to the Paranoid, squalene WILL get secretly added to H1N1 vacc in the USA, anyway. It is (supposedly) being fast-tracked by the US FDA for approval as an adjuvant.

What is the mechanism supposed to be by which injected squalene causes auto-immune disorders (like MS)? As far as I can tell, the supposed mechanism is generation of anti-squalene antibodies in those who were injected.

I found this which actually addressed this issue. They found squalene antibodies already present in individuals not exposed to it via a vaccine, and no rise in squalene antibodies after injection using squalene as an adjuvant. That makes a lot of sense, given how much squalene is already in household products.

So, um, I don't worry about side effects. Squalene must have a bad effect on somebody, admittedly, but I think the risks of flu are worse for DC.

There is no credible evidence that squalene causes MS and the tenuous link with Gulf War Syndrome has not been substantiated in studies attempting to repeat the initial findings in a better scientific setting. It's a natural oil that is commonly found in human tissues; most likely because of fish consumption or health supplement intake. Capsules of squalene are on sale from various sources and recommended daily intake is 1000mg (= 1 gram) daily.

When given as an adjuvant to a number of vaccines, squalene boosts the response to the antigen considerably. Based on the trials of H5N1 - the avian virus which was the previous candidate for a pandemic - the new pandemic H1N1v vaccines have a 2-dose schedule which is likely to give more than 5 years' protection against the current virus. It is also likely to protect against the drifted strains that will inevitably revisit the UK for several years. Hence there will probably be no need for revaccination every year.

The GSK vaccine which contains their AS03 squalene-based adjuvant (very similar to Novartis MF59) has just been given a positive review by the EMEA and therefore will probably be rolled out in the UK in the next 2-3 weeks.

Incidentally, the US rarely licence any adjuvant-based vaccines, and the three inactivated vaccines that recently gained FDA approval are not adjuvanted. Interestingly they have also licenced a live H1N1v vaccine.