The free vaccine program for children under five has been suspended across Australia after a spike in admissions to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth.
WA’s Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri says in the last month, 44 children under the age of 10 have presented to PMH with febrile convulsions, and 23 of those cases have been linked to the vaccine.
He says a further 40 possible cases have been identified across the metropolitan area and Bunbury.
“Now what we are doing is chasing those down to see how many of those had flu vaccine.”
Dr Weeramanthri says the number of affected children is expected to rise.
A West Australian woman says her three children had convulsions and vomiting after receiving the vaccine.
She says it was a frightening experience.
“We got home and they were all fine, no symptoms at all, asked the doctor if there would be any, he said there wouldn’t be, and then when I was getting ready for bed Olivia all of a sudden went purple from head to toe and just started shaking uncontrollably.”
Parents have criticised the the time it took for the department to stop the vaccine.
Janine Hadfield had her child vaccinated just hours before the program was suspended.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that, you’re hopeless and knowing full well from the news, everything coming across on the news that something could happen and it was beyond your control, it was too late for us, it was just awful,” she said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/23/2880702.htm
