Swine flu vaccine Pandemrix Drugs During Pregnancy

Press release: Rokotusinfo ry: Pressure for changing swine flu vaccinate choice in Europe 25.10.2009

Adverse effects of vaccine's adjuvant are leading to changes in Switzerland
- pregnant women and children will get non-adjuvanted vaccine

Non-profit vaccine awareness organisation Rokotusinfo ry
proposes similar changes to be considered in Finland

(Helsinki) For safety reasons, Switzerland is changing plans on vaccinating
pregnant women and children against swine flu. A non-adjuvanted
vaccines is planned instead of the adjuvanted Pandemrix vaccine ordered
earlier. World Health Organization's SAGE advisory group has
recommended that pregnant women should primarily be given
a non-adjuvanted swine flu vaccine.

The change of plans was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting
between medical authorities and government health
officials in Switzerland.  (1)

Several countries - for example - USA, Canada and Spain, Switzerland
- have ordered a non-adjuvanted vaccine for pregnant
women for safety reasons.  Unlike them, Switzerland and Finland
have ordered an adjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women,
and so has Sweden. Britain has ordered some non-adjuvanted
vaccine as well as adjuvanted Pandemrix,
but the non-adjuvanted vaccine not been reseved for pregnant women.

Now Switzerland is resolving if a non-adjuvanted
vaccine can be acquired or whether the Pandemrix vaccine be
accepted to be used non-adjuvanted.  Technically
it's possible, because the vaccine and the adjuvant
are packaged separately.

Also according to the Bundesärztekammer (BÄK), German medical society,
pregnant women and children should not be vaccinated
with an adjuvanted swine flu vaccine. (2)

   Rokotusinfo: Claims regarding adjuvant safety incorrect

According to the non-profit vaccine awareness organisation
Rokotusinfo ry, the Finnish National Institute for
Health and Welfare (THL) has been making incorrect
claims about the swine flu vaccine's adjuvant's
safety on pregnant woemn.  THL has claimed
the ingredients of the swine flu vaccine are safe
for the pregnant woman and unborn child. (3)
Rokotusinfo however cites EMEA's documents,
which state there are no data on using adjuvanted
vaccines in prenant women. (4)

For safety, Rokotusinfo ry proposes similar changes to be
considered in Finland as are in the works in Switzerland.

   Serious conflicts of interest

According to the non-profit vaccine awareness organisation
Rokotusinfo ry, the Finnish vaccine policy suffers from
serious conflicts of interest. The National Institute for
Health and Welfare (THL), the vaccine authority in Finland,
receives significant funding from vaccine manufacturers.

For this year, the estimated funding from vaccine
manufacturers is six million euros.  Governmental
budget for THL's vaccine department is only a fraction of this,
a bit more than one million euros. The biggest funder
is the maker of Pandemrix, GlaxoSmithKline, whose
vaccine THL order for the whole population
without competitive bidding.  The National Audit Office of Finland
has flagged the arrangements relating to vaccine orders
as a problem, but the issue hasn't been resolved.


For more information:

http://www.rokotusinfo.fi

Contact: rokotusinfo@rokotusinfo.fi
tel. +358 50 572 2062


References:

(1)

Tages Anzeiger: Schweinegrippe: Die Schweiz ändert ihre Impfstrategie  (21.10.)

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wissen/dossier/schweinegrippe/Schweinegrippe-Die-Schweiz-aendert-ihre-Impfstrategie/story/21675460

(2)

Die Bundesärztekammer (BÄK): Montgomery beklagt Informationschaos bei
geplanter Massenimpfung gegen die Neue Grippe (20.10.2009)

http://www.baek.de/page.asp?his=3.71.6895.7773.7824

(3)

Helsingin Sanomat Vieraskynä, research professor Petri Ruutu (23.10.)

"Rokote ei sisällä aineita, jotka ovat haitallisia sikiölle tai raskauden kululle."

http://www.hs.fi/verkkolehti/paakirjoitus/artikkeli/Kattavat+rokotukset+ehk%C3%A4isev%C3%A4t+tehokkaasti+vakavia+sairastumisia/1135250225372

(4)

Pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v vaccines authorised via the core dossier procedure
Explanatory note on scientific considerations regarding the licensing of pandemic
A(H1N1)v vaccines

(London, 24 September 2009)

"Pandemrix

Non-clinical studies with regard to female fertility, embryo-foetal and postnatal toxicity (up to the end
of the lactation period) were conducted in rats with the Pandemrix mock-up vaccine containing the
AS03 adjuvant. There was no cause for concern identified in this study. No data are available on
administration around the implantation phase of the embryos. There are no data in pregnant women
with a vaccine that contains the AS03 adjuvant."

http://www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/human/pandemicinfluenza/60825909en.pdf