UK health officials probe possible flu jab link to narcolepsy in children

British health officials are investigating cases of narcolepsy in children amid concerns that pandemic flu vaccinations lie behind a rise in the sleep disorder seen in other countries.

The Health Protection Agency is gathering vaccination histories and medical data on children aged four to 18 who have been assessed for narcolepsy at sleep centres in England in the past few years.

The investigation centres on the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) vaccine Pandemrix, which was given extensively in 2009/10 during the H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic that spread around the world.

The vaccine was used very little in 2010/11 and was unavailable during the 2011/12 influenza season.

Pandemrix is only used to combat pandemics and differs from the more familiar seasonal flu vaccine.

The HPA said: "There is no evidence of any association between seasonal influenza vaccines and narcolepsy."      Full Read