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According the e-mail, physicians at a hospital in the eastern United States told staff not to receive the vaccine because it may induce Guillain-Barre syndrome.
UNMC infectious disease specialist Mark Rupp, M.D., said the e-mail hoax may stem from the fact that after vaccination for the 1976 Swine Flu, there were a number of incidences of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.
“It’s a legitimate question people may ask,” Dr. Rupp said. “But there are obvious differences from vaccine manufacturing then and now.”
Vaccination tests have increased and improved and Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations have been introduced since that time, he said.
The H1N1 flu vaccine, which will be available starting in October, has been shown to be free of contaminants, Dr. Rupp said.
“We can’t necessarily rule out side effects, but the vaccine has been tested, appears to be safe and effective, and there’s been no unusual adverse effects,” he said. “We very strongly support vaccination for the high risk groups it’s indicated for and the general population.”