Kids given swine flu vaccine ‘have an increased risk of sleep disorder’

LONDON - Finnish researchers have found that children given a swine flu vaccine have an increased risk of a sleep disorder.

According to a preliminary study by the National Narcolepsy Task Force, children aged 4 to 19 vaccinated with Pandemrix had nine times the risk of narcolepsy - a rare disorder that causes people to suddenly fall asleep -than peers who did not have the jab, reports the Daily Mail.

However, despite Pandremrix-vaccinated children having “contributed to the observed increase in incidence of narcolepsy”, the Government health agency said the rise was likely to have been caused “by joint effect of the vaccine and some other factor”.

It is not clear how many in the younger age group were vaccinated with Pandemrix, but half of Finland’s 5.3 million population were given the jab during the winter of 2009 to 2010.

“Based on the preliminary analyses, the risk of falling ill with narcolepsy among those vaccinated in the 4-19 years age group was nine-fold in comparison to those unvaccinated in the same age group,” the study said.

It found that the biggest increase was among those aged 5 to 15 years. No cases were seen among those under four or over 19. (ANI)