Finland national health institute finds link between H1N1 flu vaccine and children's narcolepsy

"Finland's national health institute said on Thursday its latest research on previously found links between children's narcolepsy and GlaxoSmithKline's [GSK] Pandemrix vaccine against [H1N1] swine flu also involved a genetic risk factor," Reuters reports. In Finland, where 98 narcolepsy cases have been reported following the flu vaccinations, researchers found vaccinated children ages four to 19 "had a 12.7 times higher risk of experiencing narcolepsy than those who were not," the news agency notes (9/1).

GSK spokesperson Jennifer Armstrong said, "Further information from ongoing studies is still needed in order to gain additional insight into the cause of the reported cases of narcolepsy," according to CIDRAP News. "She said Glaxo is committed to patient safety and is working closely with the EMA [European Medicines Agency] and other regulatory groups," the news service writes (Schnirring, 9/1).