Swine flu vaccine and multiple sclerosis
L. T. Kurland, C. A. Molgaard, E. M. Kurland, W. C. Wiederholt and J. W. Kirkpatrick
Using age-specific rates for multiple sclerosis (MS) based on a national
survey, the number of "naturally occurring" new cases of MS among the 45
million swine flu vaccine recipients in the United States is estimated as
1,624 during the year after vaccination, or 31 cases per week. Information
from available reports and publications indicates no excess over the
expected frequencies. Analyses of admissions for MS before, during, and
after the immunization program showed no increase to the US Army hospitals
or to the Mayo Clinic. Three independent controlled clinical investigations
performed on patients with MS showed no increase in the frequency of
exacerbations among those receiving swine flu vaccine as compared with
those receiving placebo. Epidemiologic features of MS do not implicate
killed virus vaccine as an etiologic factor in onset or exacerbations of
the disease. There is no indication from these analyses of any association
or cause-and-effect relationship between swine flu vaccine and MS.
