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Australia bans Flu vaccine ban for children under 5 after kids fall ill in Perth

The Courier Mail
April 23, 2010 9:11AM
  
AUSTRALIAN health authorities have announced a nation-wide ban on children under 5 being vaccinated for the seasonal flu.

The move comes after Western Australian health authorities reported a batch of children under five suffered high temperatures and convulsions after being vaccinated.

Australia's chief medical officer Jim Bishop this morning said the recommendation not to give the vaccine to young children was a precautionary measure.

Australia's chief medical officer Jim Bishop speaking on ABC radio this morning said

Until we know more we've suggested that we don't use that seasonal flu vaccine for the moment in children under five.

I'm advising all doctors today not to use it until we know a bit more.

This may be part of the normal pattern once we see the whole picture, or it may be more than we would expect. Therefore I just think it's wise and precautionary not to use it in children under five.

The first thing is to find out if this is an aberration due to just an aggregation of cases or is something important.

So far health authorities in other states have not reported any problems, however Professor Bishop says that could be because WA has a particularly strong program on encouraging young children to be vaccinated.

Prof Bishop said the van did not extend to the swine flu vaccine that could still be given as a separate injection.

He said other groups at high risk of flu, particularly the elderly and pregnant women, should continue to be vaccinated for the seasonal flu.

Prof Bishop says one of the first steps was to identify whether the problem was associated with particular batches or was a wider problem.