Banned Fluvax given to infants

[Guest guest]

What is the excuse for this sort of behaviour? Stupidity, arrogance or just plain not caring enough? If someone who worked for me made data entries that were incorrect 70% of the time, they would have been fired long ago. And if doctors have made these sorts of mistakes about one vaccine, what does it say about their performance with other drugs and vaccines? Is it any wonder that medical error and adverse reactions to properly prescribed medications are one of the leading causes of death? It's time for medicos to lift their game and for them to be held personally liable for the harm they do when they make such obvious and unforgivable errors as giving infants and children a vaccine which had been banned for them 2 years ago."But states and territories are following up these reports and are finding about 70 per cent of these are data entry errors by the immunisation provider," she said. "Three adverse events in children under five years of age have been reported to the TGA, with one adverse event confirmed and the other two unconfirmed and still under investigation.""...The WA Health spokeswoman said the department had sent immunisation providers five reminders since February, by fax, email and mail, telling

them not to use Fluvax in the under-fives.Providers who ordered flu vaccines by fax or online were automatically reminded that Fluvax is

"NOT for use in children <10 years".http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/health/banned-fluvax-given-to-infants/story-fn59nokw-1226333815891Banned Fluvax given to infants

CHILDREN have suffered side-effects after immunisation with the banned vaccine Fluvax - two years after its withdrawal for causing seizures.

Health authorities will alert doctors and immunisation nurses nationally to order them not to use Fluvax, manufactured by Australian drug giant CSL, for the under-fives.Health Minister Plibersek yesterday expressed her "extreme concern" that it had been used, and ordered the nation's Chief Medical Officer to alert all doctors to the safety breach."I am extremely concerned that certain providers have not followed the instructions of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Chief Medical Officer and that children under five have received Fluvax," she said. "I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to work with the states and territories to again alert providers to their responsibility not to administer Fluvax to children under five."

The Health Department yesterday revealed it had three reports of "adverse events" after a "small number" of children were given Fluvax in

various states and territories.The Australian has obtained a copy of an "important safety reminder" sent to doctors and immunisation clinics by the West Australian Health Department on April 4."As of today, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register has nine children in Western Australia under five years of age recorded as having

received 2012 CSL Fluvax brand of influenza vaccine," the memo states."All

WA immunisation providers are reminded that Fluvax (CSL) brand of influenza vaccine is not registered for use in children under five years

of age and should not be given in this age group."A WA Health spokeswoman yesterday said 25 children in Western Australia, which offers the flu vaccine free to all children, were recorded in the immunisation register as having received Fluvax so far this year.But an investigation found that only seven children had received Fluvax, with "data entry errors" responsible for the rest.WA Health has asked the immunisation providers to contact the children's carers to check if they had suffered any side-effects."One

child is reported to have had . . . diarrhoea for 24 hours, but a causal association with the vaccine has not been established," the spokeswoman said. "No other reports of side-effects have been identified."The Australian understands that Fluvax has also been administered to the under-fives in other states, although the federal Health Department yesterday said a number had not been confirmed.A spokeswoman said the national immunisation register showed "a small number of children" had received Fluvax."But

states and territories are following up these reports and are finding about 70 per cent of these are data entry errors by the immunisation provider," she said. "Three adverse events in children under five years of age have been reported to the TGA, with one adverse event confirmed and the other two unconfirmed and still under investigation."As a result, the federal Health Department was reviewing the way under-fives were vaccinated against the flu.Fluvax was banned for the under-fives in 2010 after triggering febrile convulsions at 10 times the usual rate.Manufacturer

CSL has not sought approval to use Fluvax in the under-fives, and the federal Health Department recommends it only be used in children aged five to 10 when "no timely alternative vaccine" is available and parents

are told of the potential higher risk of fever.CSL and the federal Health department are still investigating why Fluvax caused febrile convulsions in one in every 100 children vaccinated before the ban in 2010.Immunologist Heath , the adjunct associate professor of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at the Australian National

University, said parents, as well as immunisation providers, should know Fluvax should "never be used in children"."To be on the safe

side it is probably best to think of children up to the age of 10 years," he said. "There are safe alternative influenza vaccines licensed

in Australia; only these vaccines should be used for children."ANU

professor of infectious diseases Collignon suggested Fluvax be kept in a separate box in vaccine fridges and labelled "not to be given to children".The federal Health Department spokeswoman said doctors had been told of four alternative vaccines approved for use in the under-fives: "Recently the Chief Medical Officer issued another fax to all providers alerting them not to use Fluvax in children under five years of age and to use alternative vaccines available."The WA Health spokeswoman said the department had sent immunisation providers five reminders since February, by fax, email and mail, telling them not to use Fluvax in the under-fives.Providers who ordered flu vaccines by fax or online were automatically reminded that Fluvax is "NOT for use in children <10 years".

Meryl Dorey,SpokespersonThe Australian Vaccination Network, Inc.Investigate before you vaccinateEditor,Living Wisdom MagazineFamily, Health, EnvironmentPO Box 177BANGALOW NSW 2479AUSTRALIAhttp://www.avn.org.auhttp://www.living-wisdom.comPhone: 02 6687 1699 FAX 02 6687 2032skype: ivmmagFreedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them -- and then, the opportunity to choose. - C. MillsThe authority of any governing institution must stop at its citizen's skin. - Gloria SteinemWe rely on the help and support of our members and subscribers to continue offering our services freely and without prejudice.Please consider helping us by subscribing to Living Wisdom and renewing your membership promptly if you are already an AVN member. Go to http://www.avn.org.au to subscribe or renew.We also sell books, videos and DVDs on vaccination and other health issues. Go to http://shop.avn.org.au/ for more details.PS - all of our subscriptions are currently on sale until December 24th. Our digital (online delivery) subscription is 50% off. Please check out the information at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs082/1101800214009/archive/1108706073097.html