[Yasser]

Yasser  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Dear Naked Scientists,
 
Shortly after getting the Swine Flu vaccine in Canada I believe I felt what appeared to be the symptoms of a low blood sugar reaction, as I am Type-1 diabetic.

These symptoms ranged from confusion to breaking out into a sweat; I tested my blood glucose levels and realized that I did not have a low blood glucose reaction as initially thought.

A week later I found out that taking the Swine Flu vaccine could result in not only a sore arm, but possibly anaphylaxis.

Are these claims true and, if so, why do they share such common elements as a low blood sugar reaction or hypoglycemia?
 
Best Regards,
Yasser in Canada

What do you think?

[litespeed]

Yasser,

Flu inoculations are, and will continue to be, controversial. For instance, this year's swine flu inoculations came in several forms. Some of them contained preservatives which included various levels of mercury. For instance, the German Army specified vaccines without these preservatives.

This caused a minor uproar in Germany and elsewhere. In general, the complaint was how come some recipients get one but not the other. In the US patients had the choice, but during the early days were not informed there even was a choice. Perhaps because the actual vaccine was in short supply.

Jokingly, the inmates at GITMO qualified for the rationed vaccine [close quarters contact] while other actual citizens could not obtain a dose at all.

Further, simple inoculations themselves can have side effects, both minor and otherwise. The problem for those with possible serous side effects is the near impossibility of proving a connection, since these are very rare.

In other words, the entire decision to be inoculated in the first place is something of a crap shoot. For instance, this years Swine Flu seems to have been less deadly then the routine yearly flu. But it might not have been so.

I believe the medical community in the US has made a calculated decision to balance the potential side effects against potential disease containment, on a statistical basis.  The problem I have is 1) these cost/benefit analyses have seldom, if ever, been actually presented in detail to the population for evaluation. and 2) they do not inform you at the time of inoculation that there may be a choice between mercury preserved vaccines or not.

In addition, I am unaware they ever discuss the the possibility you may have been exposed to swine flu in the past. I lived through the last swine flu epidemic in the late 1950's, and may have had at least some exposure and some resistence. Its the prime suspect in why the death rate, though small, includes otherwise healthy youngsters who were born after that time.

You Makes Your Choices, And You Takes Your Chances. Thats all.

[Bored chemist]

I suspect that there's more mercury in my teeth than in all the swine flu vaccine that's ever been made.
The mercury is a red Herring.
All medical treatments are associated with some level of risk, but you have to balance that against the risk of not vaccinating.
At the outset of this pandemic this was a rather nasty disease and it's closely related to the 1918 strain that caused havoc.
It would have been gross negligence to not develop and deploy a vaccine. Don't forget there's nothing to stop it turning really nasty.

[Madidus_Scientia]

Elemental mercury is of course dangerous but that's not what is in vaccines so it is a red herring indeed. It's bound as an organic ethyl (Thiomersal), and the kidneys can easily filter it out.

I can't explain your apparent low blood glucose levels but regarding anaphylaxis

The incidence of anaphylactic or severe allergic reactions to vaccines is very low, less than one case per million vaccine doses. Larger studies from later years report no deaths. The cause of the reaction is usually not the immunizing antigen itself, but rather some other vaccine ingredient such as egg protein from the production process or gelatin added as a stabilizer. Most people with egg allergy can be vaccinated without any reaction. Vasovagal reactions with or without hyperventilation are common after vaccination. They can be rather dramatic and are often mistaken for anaphylactic reactions. Correct diagnosis is important in making it possible to vaccinate those who might otherwise run the risk of serious infections.

[Geezer]

When I got my H1N1 vaccination, the people at the clinic were very careful to ask me if I had any allergic reaction to eggs.

It's a good thing to be cautious about vaccinations, and there can be risks associated with them, but why is there not an equal amount of emphasis on the horrific risks associated with not vaccinating? Many parents are needlessly exposing their children to completely preventable diseases, for no good reason.

We should ask questions until we get satisfactory answers, but we should not make decisions based on half-baked sensational journalism.