Finland Suspends Swine Flu Vaccine As Children Struck Down With Narcolepsy

The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) decided on Tuesday to recommend that vaccinations against swine flu with the Pandemix vaccine should be suspended. By Tuesday, 15 new cases of the disease, which causes the sufferer to suddenly fall asleep without warning, had been diagnosed among children aged 5 to 16 since December. There is a clear time correlation between the cases and the swine flu vaccinations. In addition to the confirmed cases, there are some where the disease is suspected are being studied. Marjo Renko, chairwoman of the national group of experts on vaccines, said in a television news interview on Tuesday that the a substance contained in the vaccine is suspected as a possible cause of the narcolepsy. The possibility of compensations for children and young people diagnosed with narcolepsy is being evaluated.

Helsingin Sanomat