Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have published a report saying that further studies are to be conducted in order to assess the possible association between swine flu vaccine and Guillian-Barre syndrome. This is quite a turn around from the earlier denial from the health associations about any link between the two.
Guillian-Barre (GB) syndrome is a disorder of the nerves which destroys the myelin sheath or lining of the sheath. Without the myelin sheath, the nerve is rendered incapable of conducting nerve impulses. The precise reason for the attack on the nerve lining is unknown but it usually causes paralysis of the limbs. It can prove fatal if the respiratory system is attacked.
In 1976, the American government used a vaccine among the military troops to combat swine flu. This led to 25 deaths from GB syndrome. The vaccine was withdrawn from the market and the government had to pay hefty compensation packages. Since flu itself is a cause for GB syndrome, it was not clear if the GB syndrome was caused by the vaccine or by the flu itself. Fears from earlier experience have led the authorities to warn the doctors to keep a strict follow-up on the cases of GB syndrome. The health authorities say that it is routine to keep an eye out for any side effects when any new vaccine is being introduced. When the vaccine was initially introduced last year, majority of the healthcare personnel had refused to take the vaccine because they had reservations about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
Spokesperson of the MHRA says that they are not expecting the studies to reveal an increase in risk similar to the outbreak in the 1970s. He adds that the position remains that there is no definitive evidence to say that vaccines are a cause of GB syndrome.
