Some swine flu vaccines may raise heart risk

Some swine flu vaccines may raise heart risk
Some swine flu vaccines may raise heart risk
31/01/2010 18:13:00 admin
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Drug/some_swine_flu_vaccines_may_raise_heart_risk_3101101214.html

One article authored by researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany warns that use of adjuvanted swine flu vaccine may raise cardiovascular disease.

Bhakdi S and colleagues in the Nov 2009 issue of Medical microbiology and immunology noted that European countries use swine flu vaccine with either MF59 or AS03 adjuvant.

MF59 adjuvant developed by Chiron Corp is a sub-micron oil-in-water emulsion of a squalene, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (TweenTM 80) and sorbitan trioleate.

AS03 is the trade name for a squalene-based immunologic adjuvant used in various vaccine products by GlaxoSmithKline, wikipedia reports.

The authors said evidence from animal studies and clinical data indicate that stimulation of the immune system may accelerate atherogenesis raising the risk for the cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.

Application of adjuvanted flu vaccines to individuals at risk can be particularly damaging as it may aggravate the course of underlying atherosclerotic vessel disease.

Bhakdi pointed that deregulated immune mechanisms could result in other widespread diseases and the current safety vaccine safety trials have not specifically taken these possible side effects into account.

The authors suggested it is prudent to establish careful survey systems to monitor the possible incidents from massive inoculation of adjuvanted vaccines or to reserve swine flu with adjuvants only for emergency use.

The U.S. only approved use of non-adjuvanted swine flu vaccines in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

By Jimmy Downs