Atlanta, GA – Feds Checking Post-Vaccine Seizures In Young Kids

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    Atlanta, GA – Government officials are investigating an apparent increase in fever-related seizures in young children after they got a flu shot.

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said there have been 36 confirmed reports of seizures this flu season in children ages 6 months through 2 years. The seizures occurred within one day after they were vaccinated with Fluzone, the only flu shot recommended in the United States for infants and very young children. Ten of the children were hospitalized, but all recovered.

    The FDA said it is investigating to see if there is any connection between the vaccine and the seizures, or if something else caused the convulsions. The agency said recommendations for using the vaccine have not changed, nor has there been any change in flu vaccine guidance.

    In the U.S., vaccination is recommended for everyone except infants under 6 months.

    The vaccine’s manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, issued a statement emphasizing that no clear link has been established between the flu shot and the seizures and that the cases may be coincidental.

    Thursday’s announcement comes at a time when the FDA has been working on disclosing more information about potential safety problems with drugs and devices after they’ve been approved.

    The government uses a national reporting system to monitor possible side effects following vaccination. Doctors, nurses, parents and vaccine manufacturers all can file reports.

    “It’s meant to cast a wide net” to look for problems, but is only regarded as preliminary information that must be checked out, said Shelly Burgess, an FDA spokeswoman.

    FDA officials said they’ve been paying special attention to seizure reports because of an unexplained higher rate of fevers and seizures in young children in Australia and New Zealand who got a specific flu vaccine earlier this year.

    In August, a U.S. vaccines advisory panel said doctors should avoid using that vaccine, made by CSL Biotherapies, in children ages 6 months through 8 years.

    It’s possible the Australia cases sparked increased reports this fall, said Dr. Andrea Sutherland, an official in the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

    The fever-related seizures — called febrile seizures — are convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. A child often loses consciousness and shakes. Most seizures last a minute or two, and often children quickly recover.

    Such seizures may occur with any common childhood illnesses that may cause fever, such as ear infections, colds, influenza and other viral infections.

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    Online:

    FDA notice: http://tinyurl.com/FDAnotice


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    36 Comments
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    charliehall
    charliehall
    13 years ago

    That children can get febrile seizures after the vaccine is not the issue. Because influenza (particularly H1N1 in children) itself causes febrile seizures, the question is whether the vaccinated kids got seizures (and other complictions) at a higher rate than the unvaccinated kids who were susceptible to the virus.

    13 years ago

    The answer is yes, vaccinated kids got seizures and complications like autism.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    Charlie – it certainly is part of the issue. The whole point of a vaccine is that the benefits should outweigh the risks. If the vaccine itself can cause febrile seizures (which can in turn cause brain damage or death) then a child might be more beneficial taking the chance of getting the flu (which means there is also a chance of NOT getting the flu) vs being administered something that up front causes seizures. That is why they are looking into whether or not it is directly linked. In addition – your wording is not correct. Flu “may” cause seizures, there is no guarantee that it will.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    13 years ago

    My kid has had every single shot!! Including memingitis!! He is now 19!! Not one seizure!! All Hepititis shots, all MMR shots etc. every single required immunization. I do not know what the big deal is. Now you hear that meningitis is going around and I amglad my kid was immunized!!

    13 years ago

    Todays preventive medicines like antibiotics and vaccines are killing us.

    Truth
    Truth
    13 years ago

    Charlie -You’re not doing a good job defending vaccines against these Health-Nuts.
    People are going to start believing the nonsense posted here: Like it causes Autism;
    “(febrile seizures -which can in turn cause brain damage or death)” or that febrile seizures can cause brain damage or death. If it caused brain damage, it isn’t a febrile seizure. The only way it can cause death, if the medical worker, including EMS, doesn’t manage the airway correctly.

    kalman1
    kalman1
    13 years ago

    Bizarre, people have opinions on medical issues without having a clue of the scientific process.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    Kalman – I actually agree with you, except I was comment number 3 and I do in fact have medical knowledge. I am a nurse. So now
    to #4 – guess what – your 19 year old can in fact get Meningitis. Even if as a baby he had a vaccine. There is bacterial and viral meningitis and the vaccine only prevents Some forms of meningitis (such as those associated with meningococci, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococci or mumps virus infections). In addition, just because one was immunized as a child does not mean he is now still immune to some diseases.
    #7 – you obviously know nothing about seizures. EMS can’t protect an airway during a seizure if muscles are contracted and you can not intubate if you can not get past a jaw and tongue that are clamped down. The goal is only to protect the patient from bashing his head into anything. In the meantime – the longer a seizure – the more oxygen being cut off from the brain. This does in fact mean that a baby with a seizure can lose some brain function, all brain function, or die.
    In general to everyone – this article does not say that all vaccines cause seizures or that even all flu vaccines cause seizures but they need to investigate whn

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    there is a high incidence of seizures following a “population” of children who have just received the flu vaccine. They will check this particular make of vaccine and lot numbers, etc, etc… And furthermore – this article does not even touch on the autism controversy … so why go there?

    13 years ago

    Seizures can cause permanent brain damage and a predisposition for siezures when fever is high at any time during the person’s life. This is no joke.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    PS – I want to rephrase one part. While most febrile seizures are short lasting and therefore do not typically cause brain damage – it is still “possible” for a febrile seizure to last longer and therefore leave a child without oxygen for longer. In addition – some children who had febrile seizures go on to develop epilepsy and it is some of them who have fatal seizures (although most of the time epilepsy is controlled with medicines).

    13 years ago

    All my kids get febrile convulsions. Apparently, after kids #1 and #2 got them, the docs said all future kids probably would, which is indeed what has happened. They are pretty scary, even though we’re used to it. I also have some kids who, with only a bit of fever, hallucinate and go into screaming delusional,spastic fits. Needless to say, we don’t give the flu shot and certain other shots specifically known for causing high reactions.

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    13 years ago

    As a child neurologist, perhaps I can be of some help here:

    1) The risks of vaccines in general are miniscule, and the benefits greatly outweigh these risks. Especially in a mobile society, with people flying in planes everywhere for Pesach and to Israel, the chances of catching something are higher than ever. Much more damage is done when people refrain from giving vaccines to their children (eg due to false fears about autism) than from the vaccines themselves.

    2) Febrile seizures are a type of seizure with fever which are almost always harmless. They often run in families.

    3) There are 3 types of febrile seizures:
    Simple febrile seizures are brief, occurring in children 6 months to 5 years of age, involve symmetric shaking, and last a few minutes at most, in an otherwise normal child. A complex febrile seizure either has shaking of only one part of the body or lasts for 15 minutes or long, or has 2 or more seizures in close succession. A symptomatic febrile seizure is due to a serious cause.

    4) Even if this one type of vaccine is problematic, that does not mean all the other vaccines should be avoided.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    My statement that a paramedic can not intubate when a jaw is clamped and muscles are contracted, was just that. It had nothing to do with what medications can be introduced to stop a seizure. If a seizure is stopped, one may not need intubation as they may now be taking in oxygen on their own. It was a statement made before the idea of introducing medication.
    I have only the same agenda as you except from the other perspective.
    You believe it is a scare tactic on my account to inform the public that if a specific report comes out about any risks involved in a specific vaccine, that they have the right to be informed of every possibility. I say that is not a scare tactic – only their right to gather all information so they can make an informed decision. There are surgeries that are minimally invasive and extremely routine, but just like open heart surgery which is very invasive and not routine, they still both come with the risks of, infection, blood clots, respiratory depression and even death – so therefore this information needs to be given before all surgeries.
    I believe it is a scare tactic to have the general public believe that they should just give any vaccine

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    administer any medications to their children simply because medical professionals told them to. They have a right and should question medical interventions, medical preventions and then make informed decisions – that is all that my agenda is. I share my knowledge and opinions as a nurse and as a patient. You just misquoted me and others when you say, “oh, look what shots do…”
    as if I am lumping all vaccines and even all flu shots in the same category. The reason this report came out in the first place was to share information with the public. Yes – complex febrile seizures can and have caused brain damage and I do not care if those who had febrile seizures from this particular flu vaccine only experienced simple febrile seizures. I can share my knowledge and let people do with it what they want. I have no agenda against vaccines in general and already said that twice. I think the medical industry is not infallible, Dr’s are not G-d and people have the right to question their safety and their children’s safety.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    I generally am someone who chooses my words carefully. I have not used words such as “always”, “never”, “every” – when I say febrile seizures “can” cause brain damage and even death – it’s because it can. You are right that the specific cases in question most probably did not result in febrile seizures that were complex and caused brain damage or death. That was not my point. My point was a response to a specific commentator. I was trying to make a point about benefits outweighing risks. If this report never came out, I would not go out of my way to tell people that any vaccine can potentially cause febrile seizures. But once parents are aware that a very specific vaccine (fluzone) given to kids aged 6 months to 2 years,,,, in a specific area showed clusters of kids that were getting febrile seizures a day later – the potential for the seizure in the first place has now gone up (possibly if a direct correlation is made upon investigation) and therefore the small chance of complex febrile seizures has gone up as well – or 2 seizures in succession or that a febrile seizure can then sometimes lead to epilepsy. Parents can be informed of this now and decide now if the

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    benefits outweigh the risks. I am a patient advocate and I have also been given the vaccine sheets every time my own children receive a vaccine. The emphasis on those sheets are first symptoms that may be – redness and swelling at injection site, slight fever, irritability …. but some of those sheets actually include more damaging side affects that always come with a prefacing sentence such as ” it is very uncommon, but there have been cases of, blank, blank and blank (obviously side affects more serious). Like the surgeries – this information is required to be given to parents, but in general, Dr’s and nurses do not make a big case out of it, and yet it’s still included. In a sense – that is what i was doing. And I do not regret my actions. Autonomy of patient is one of the first things learned in nursing school. A patient needs all information and even if it seems contradictory to the best medical care, they can decide whichever way they want. I can not possibly write enough for you to understand me as a nurse, as a mother, as a patient. But I do not regret my words.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    Please stop insulting the intelligence of frum people. It’s extremely insulting. Many frum people are highly educated and make decisions on information and specific personal issues and are not just fanatics. You just bring up a point that I made in one of my responses earlier. The fact that someone said her child was vaccinated as a baby and is now 19 so will not get anything anymore is already proof that people need more education. You verified this with the mumps story. While your point was emphasizing that the person to begin the outbreak was not aver immunized means nothing, bc guess what. – Some people can not receive vaccines because they are allergic to eggs or they have underlying diseases that would make a vaccine more of a risk, etc, etc …. but the point you verified is that even with childhood immunizations – we do not have a clear understanding if that would allow for everlasting immunity. That is why boosters were created, but even so – boosters is not a guarantee of future immunity. Your point also makes no sense – because according to you – if everyone is vaccinated as a herd there will be no outbreak, when you just said that some victims had mumps vaccine.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    By the way – the mumps outbreak did not originate in the frum community, it originated in other communities, first. So do not try to make a cause that this happened in a frum community because someone (for whatever reason, legitimate or not) did not vaccinate a child. You will never have 100% vaccination in this world for various reasons and even if we had 100% vaccination in America – people travel and become exposed to other countries limitations regarding vaccines and as you have verified, even American travelers to other countries who have had immunizations as children – can find out the hard way that they are not actually immune and they have now brought the problem back with them unknowingly. There is nothing perfect in medical prevention. Do not delude yourself to think there is and stop underestimating frum people. I am done now.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    Now you just sound stupid. Look up Mumps outbreaks from 2000 – 2009 – besides other countries (way before the outbreak you refer to) there were outbreaks in ohio and iowa and elsewhere that had nothing to do with a frum or even Jewish originator. This is not a specifically “frum” issue or even “Jewish” issue. And the fact that people who have been immunized came down with mumps very well means that even a boy immunized could have spread the disease after traveling.You misuse the term “herd” immunity either way – that word is relevant to those who do not immunize because they feel they will be safe due to everyone elses immunization (herd effect). You can not comprehend what you read – I was not comparing declining vaccines to declining surgery – I was comparing the right of patients to be given all information up front to make decisions in both aspects of medical care. You are very naive. We are a country that does not check the vaccine records of visitors and anyone from other countries can introduce a disease as well. How is it your frum friends picked up mumps from patients. Were they not immunized – your friends? If they were – you prove the point that immunization

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    not a guarantee and if they were not – well what medical “professional” does not get immunized??? And even if someone chooses not to vaccinate because they are concerned with autism – even if no link is proven, that is their decision and they have a right to make it. That is what autonomy is. And I am so happy you are done because you fail to make any valid points and need to educate yourself and you contradict yourself way too much.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    This outbreak occurred before the Brooklyn outbreak you speak of:
    An alarming outbreak of the mumps two years ago has raised questions about whether an additional vaccination is needed. A report in The New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday tracks the 2006 epidemic, the largest outbreak in two decades. Mumps had virtually disappeared in America since the 1990s, when doctors began using a second dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine among schoolchildren. But most of those who became infected in 2006 were college students who had received the double-vaccination, raising questions about whether a third dose may be needed. The outbreak appeared to start in January 2006 on college campuses in Iowa, and by April the outbreak peaked with 40 states reporting 2,786 cases. By the end of the year, a total of 6,584 cases and 85 hospitalizations had been reported. The researchers noted that the virus probably came from students or other travelers from Britain, where there was a larger outbreak of the same strain.

    Immunizations are not fully understood and parents have the right to question them.

    missyid
    missyid
    13 years ago

    Oh you fool – you just prove my words again and again. You are arguing about “frum” people not vaccinating. Read about the outbreak directly from the CDC – please. Low vaccination rate is in Britain. Out of one thousand something cases – over 9 hundred something reported their vaccination status. 88% of reported vaccine status was two doses and 75% was one dose at least. Maybe this one boy was not vaccinated (although I never once heard that information made public either way) – he got the mumps because he was in a country of low vaccination but most of the people he gave it to were in fact vaccinated. Stop insulting the medical practices of frum people. There are fanatics crossing every religion and you seem to think that only FrumJews are “health nuts” (your words)… Your last response just proves that I am wasting my time arguing with a heartless imbecile. Do you even have kids? I sort of hope not. I care about everyone … and guess what … we live in a Country where actually – most people do in fact vaccinate – but you seem to think the Frum people will be the downfall of other’s health. You should first worry about your mental health.