Southern hemisphere have adverse flu shot reactions

[Anonymous]

Only 3 countries (Australia, New Zealand & Singapore) have used the Fluvax vaccine which combines H1N1 with the regular flu shot. Two of those countries are currently experiencing a lot of bad reactions with under 5's including seizures. It is not just one batch, so it doesn't appear to be contamination. Any idea if Fluvax is planned to be used in the US?

[Anonymous]

I can't see how. It is made for the Southern Hemisphere. And I don't think they have ever been licensed to sell a product in the U.S.

[Anonymous]

OP here:

An update - one theory on the adverse reactions which could apply in the US as well:

"Peter Collignon, a professor in infectious diseases from the Australian National University, says the seasonal flu vaccine has three components - one of which is swine flu - and children may be reacting badly to receiving a second exposure to part of the flu virus.

"If you were infected with swine flu itself last year or had been given the swine flu vaccine last November or December or January, if you then get exposed again to a part of the virus, you've already got antibodies and white cells that are turned on to try to fight the virus," he said.

"Therefore if you get exposed to it again you may have a brisk reaction, where you produce more antibodies and more white cells, which gives you a fever and an inflammatory reaction.

"So one of the possibilities is that the children who have problems is because they already had immunity to the virus and therefore are over reacting when exposed again to some of the virus."

Professor Collignon says health authorities need to better weigh up whether rolling out a vaccination to millions of people around the country will cause more harm than good."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/23/2881522.htm

[Anonymous]

Until the H1N1 hit, I vaccinated myself and my children faithfully each year. Now, with this "hybrid," I'm avoiding the vaccinations altogether.

I don't care how safe experts claim it is; I don't believe them. And I have never been anti-vax.