Brussels, 31/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France) said, with irony, that she wondered whether the European Commission might be suffering from narcolepsy. She said she did not understand why John Dalli, European Health Commissioner, has not yet decided to suspend injections of Pandemrix administered to the very young.
Michèle Rivasi was highly critical of the fact that the Commission had given a blunt refusal to give any decision until the summer, and that European verifications were underway. She said such “non-decision” was unacceptable. After Finland, it is the turn of the Swedish health authorities to advise against injections of the anti-H1N1 vaccine, Pandemrix, among the very youngest subjects. Pandemrix, produced by GSK, has been suspected since 2010 of having caused narcolepsy in 150 children. Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disease that causes excessive drowsiness during the day and loss of muscular strength. “How many people must fall ill before taking action? By not doing anything, Commissioner Dalli is an accomplice to the laboratories - and he is accountable”, Rivasi said by way of conclusion. (L.C./transl.jl)