So apparently the swine flu vaccination (pandemrix) is now being linked to the diagnosis of narcolepsy in children vaccinated

[BarbieLovesKen]

Am I a bit slow with this news? I'm watching the news so upset.

Didn't some study or other show that around half the population had swine flu but with no symptoms or symptoms so mild that they didn't notice? They now have natural immunity to that particular strain of swine flu.

The death rate for the 2009 pandemic (wikipedia so do check elsewhere if you feel the need) was 0.03% with the majority of those having underlying health conditions or being obese (I did read something which suggested this was a factor in the US having such a high morbidity rate).

narcolepsy is a horrible illness and the prognosis for people with it is not good in terms of them being able to live a normal life

As opposed to death, which has an even worse impact on living a normal life...

Which bit of the risk of death from flu being 10 - 100x greater than narcolepsy did you not get?

(Sees a re-run of the MMR debate emerging, but at least with this one your failure to innoculate does not increase my child's risk of death)

"but at least with this one your failure to innoculate does not increase my child's risk of death)" neither does mmr if you vaccinate your child. But we'll not go there.

And unlike with mmr the WHO have revised their stance to recommend the vaccine only be given to over 20s. That's a very clear statement. People have something to say about babies being weaned before six months because the WHO guidelines state 26 weeks, yet with a vaccine this should somehow be viewed differently?

Death from flu if you do not have an underlying health condition is extremely rare. And yes, of course you weigh up the risk. But in truth your child has a far greater risk of being killed by a car than dying of flu or developing narcolepsy and yet I presume you expose him to those risks on a daily basis without so much as a thought.

Of course you should follow WHO's advice with the vaccination against swine flu. However, lots of adults are in at risk groups and should be vaccinated.

And pregnant women for example are in at risk group.

whatmeworry, your post does not make sense.

if you are implying that a non-vaccinated child (or adult, or an adult whose immunity through vaccination has failed) makes it more likely that your vaccinated child will catch the disease when it is mmr being discussed, then surely the same woudl apply for swine flu?

or perhaps you see it differently? I would be very interested to hear your reasoning as to why a non-mmr'd child increases your mmr'd child's chances of catching m, m or r, but a non-flu jabbed child does not impact on your (presumably flu-jabbed) child?

I don't understand your argument WannaBe - it seems you are saying that because there is a high risk of car death one should not worry about the lower risk of flu deaths, however one should worry about the even lower risk of narcolepsy?

whatmeworry, your post does not make sense

Which bit of my post that the risk of death from flu is higher than the risk of narcolepsy from a flu vaccine does not make sense?

don't try to fudge the issue - the rest of my post made it prfectly clear which bit of your post does not make sense.

but nobody said anything about adults. The risk is to children.

If it's irresponsible to wean a baby before six months against WHO advice then it's irresponsible to vaccinate a child under 20 years against WHO advice.

Of course as parents we weigh up individual risks to our children and make our own decisions. But when advice says don't vaccinate then you cannot slate parents for choosing to go with that advice.

whatmeworry silver's post was abundently clear. Your child is no more at risk from a non mmr vaccinated child than from a non flu vaccinated child. to suggest such is just ridiculous.

I didn't have the vaccination (on offer to everyone here) because I'm a big chicken and am terrified of needles. The day after returning from England in July 2009 I went down with it. I have never been so ill in my life. I could barely breath. It took weeks to recover.

I'm so grateful my family were vaccinated. My husband is severey asthmatic. It would have killed him.

I've just phoned my Drs surgery, as she has had a letter home from (special) school, urging us to take up the vaccine appointment offered. Except that, our surgery apparently relies on patients to come forward and claim that they are in an 'at risk' group

I'll take the risk of narcolepsy. She is a child with a neurological condition, and the evidence is that these children come off worse if they catch flu/swine flu.

Having had flu and swine flu I would always vaccinate ds who is asthmatic and ends up hospitalised with a common cold.

If he wasn't asthmatic I don't think I would be pushing for him to have it though - but that's impossible to say as I'm not in that position!

Pandemrix isn't being offered any more so people who need a flu jab this year shouldn't be worrying about narcolepsy and should be encouraged to attend as usual.

Swine flu was totally over hyped by the media. The only reason is was offered across the board to children under 5 was that it was massively over estimated by gps the amount they would need and therefore they had a huge amount of surplus vaccines to punt.

Over hyped by the media!!!

First year maybe, but it was barely reported last year and it was far worse. We are preparing for an even worse bout this year as past pandemics have increased over a 3 year period with the third year beibg the worst.

I will be vaccinated at work, dd on the nhs but i am paying private for ds1&2.

Last year the cases of swine flu were truly horrifying

According to CDC, the 10/11 flu season was milder than both 09/10 (when swine flu emerged) and also 08/09.

Mosschops30: could you describe/link the data sets which demonstrate otherwise? Also, what is the authority for the 3-year cycle claim, or an example of it happening? Thanks.

I work on intensive care so i can only comment on what i saw, however our swine flu rate was far higher in 10/11 than in 09/10. Staff that had left were asked to return, we branched out into other areas as there were not enough beds. It was very scary.
The 3rd year thing comes from a past pandemic AFAIK.
No one knows what this year holds, but we are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

Mosschgops - I will also get the jab at work and dd2 gets it due to having a congenital heart defect - I don't like dd1 and dd3 being unprotected. Particularly dd3 who will be starting school in January. Where will you get the private jab?

I found a local private clinic that is doing them for £25 each. They have national surgeries though i think. Do you want me to pm you their email address

Yes please! Thanks.

Done

I'm also having dd 2 and a half vaccinated this winter age did have swine flu jab last year and previous year! Surely if it was unsafe private gps clinics wouldn't offer it? Is pamderix not included in this years vaccine as I though swine flu was included in the vaccine? If you could send ne the details of the clinic your booked into that would be great! I'm pregnant so will be getting it done at my gp surgery as dd doesn't have any underlying health problems we can't get it done there so need to find a private clinic offering it