Pharmacy Daily | Narcolepsy finding

THE European Medicines Agency’s Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has found insufficient evidence to link Pandemrix with the onset of narcolepsy. The CHMP was charged with investigating preliminary research results by the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare which looked at differences in the immunological response triggered by different pandemic influenza vaccines as a potential root cause for the development of narcolepsy in persons vaccinated with Pandemrix. The vaccine was authorised in the EU in 2009 to protect against the flu caused by the A (H1N1)v 2009 virus. The vaccine was used extensively during the 2009 (H1N1) pandemic, with at least 30.8m people vaccinated in the EU, however data in some EU countries pointed to a potential increase in risk of narcolepsy in kids and teens who had the shot. After considering the research, the CHMP concluded that the data presented by the Finnish scientists was preliminary and that the evidence presented was insufficient to allow conclusions to be drawn. The CHMP also said that the data does not lead to any new concerns regarding Pandemrix or other vaccines, including other influenza vaccines.

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