GSK's Swine Flu Vaccine Suspected Of Causing Narcolepsy In Children

STOCKHOLM — Sweden's Medical Products Agency opened an inquiry Wednesday into vaccinations for swine flu made by British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, suspected of provoking narcolepsy. "The MPA has received six reports from health care professionals regarding narcolepsy as suspected adverse drug reaction following Pandemrix flu vaccination," it said in a statement. The reports concern children aged between 12-16 years who developed symptoms compatible with narcolepsy, a chronic sleeping disorder, that occurred one to two months after vaccination against the H1N1 pandemic. Finland is also looking into the possible link between narcolepsy and the swine flu vaccination, in particular Pandemrix, following an increase in the sleeping disorder among children this spring, the Finish news agency STT said.

AFP