The k2p blog

Anti-vax may be utterly stupid but vaccine worship is not far behind.

Let us not forget the public health fiasco with swine influenza vaccine and narcolepsy. In October 2009, Sweden’s public health services carried out a mass vaccination program against swine influenza. Six million doses of GlaxoSmithKline’s H1N1 influenza vaccine Pandemrix were administered. The vaccine was approved for use by the European Commission in September 2009, upon the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency. By August 2010, both the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) launched investigations regarding the development of narcolepsy as a side effect.

An increased risk of narcolepsy was found following vaccination with Pandemrix, a monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine that was used in several European countries during the H1N1 influenza pandemic. This risk was initially found in Finland, and then other European countries also detected an association.

CDC

Today over 400 people of those vaccinated in Sweden suffer from narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a central nervous system disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and abnormal manifestations of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This disorder is caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. The condition is incurable and life long. Some treatments can help to alleviate symptoms. 

It is the same “experts” and institutions who decided on mass use of Pandemrix who are now inventing public health strategies for Covid-19. Meanwhile a vaccine for the coronavirus is still in its early stages of development and clinical trials. Some of these “expert” strategies are just fairy tales and fantasy.

Vaccinations generally work. Particular vaccinations sometimes don’t. Whether any particular vaccine against Covid-19 will work remains to be seen. The experience with other coronaviruses provides no track record which inspires great confidence.

I get worried when people say they believe in science. To be scientific is to be skeptical. If some science has to be believed in, then whatever it is that has to be believed, is not science.

Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, Narcolepsy, Pandemrix

This entry was posted on October 18, 2020 at 8:48 am and is filed under Health, Medicine, Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.