Swine Flu Shot Dangers

Swine Flu Shot can Cause Narcolepsy in Children, Teens and Young Adults

Pandemrix is a vaccine developed and patented by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to help prevent H1N1, better known as swine flu. Young people have an elevated risk of catching the disease, and now Swedish clinicians have found that they also have an increased risk of developing narcolepsy if they take Pandemrix. Pandemrix has not been approved for use in the U.S., but another vaccine which contains the ingredient thought to cause the increased risk of narcolepsy has been.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder which can be debilitating. It is most known for causing a person to suddenly fall asleep, at inappropriate moments, and often in the middle of activities or conversation, but it can also have other effects. Narcolepsy can cause extreme daytime sleepiness, hallucinations, and cataplexy. Cataplexy is sudden muscle weakness which is often triggered by strong emotions.

Bird Flu Vaccine in the U.S.

Although Pandemrix has not been approved for use in the U.S., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did approve a GSK vaccine for H5N1, known as bird flu, which contains the adjuvant believed to cause narcolepsy in Pandemrix users.