CDC: GBS risk similar for H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines

From Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP, an interesting article :

" Jun 2, 2010 : The risk for the paralytic condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in people who received pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine was about the same as the risk among those who receive seasonal flu shots, according to preliminary findings released today by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

GBS is a rare side effect of illness or vaccination and was linked to the 1976 swine flu vaccine. Today's preliminary analysis from the CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) suggests there were 0.8 excess cases of GBS per 1 million vaccinations, whereas surveillance for the 1976 pandemic vaccine showed about 10 excess cases per 1 million vaccinations. The CDC published the findings in an early-release edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

The CDC's EIP, a collaboration between state health departments and academic centers, conducts disease surveillance in 10 states. Today's analysis covers patients who were hospitalized with GBS after September 30, 2009, just as the vaccine launched. Researchers interviewed patients who met the GBS classification definition by phone to gather more information about their medical and vaccination history. "