Flu Drug Tamiflu May Cause Odd Behavior in Children

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Gerberding acknowledged that many parents are concerned about the addition of thimerosal to the flu vaccine. Thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative, is suspected by some be at least partly responsible for the growing number of autism cases among children.

"Children can have very serious disease from influenza," Gerberding said. "The flu shot is the best way to protect them, there's no doubt about that. Concerns about thimerosal are on the minds of many parents. We have not been able to identify any data that indicates a flu shot poses any risk associated with thimerosal."

The CDC chief believes the benefits of vaccination are too important to ignore. "If you are balancing the benefit of immunization with what is an unknown or no-risk situation from thimerosal, it seems clear to me what needs to be done," Gerberding said. "That's why we in the public-health community are encouraging parents to get their kids vaccinated. The risk of flu far outweighs any theoretical complications from the vaccine."

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In related news, a study in the Nov. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that the flu vaccine slightly increases the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which occurs when the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system, resulting in tingling or weakness and possible paralysis.

"This study has findings that are consistent with findings that were published a few years ago," Gerberding said. "These findings indicate that there is an increased risk of about one in a million of Guillain-Barre syndrome cases among those who are vaccinated, compared to those who are not vaccinated. But when we compare the risks associated with influenza infection with the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, we see that the risk of not being vaccinated far outweighs the risk for Guillain-Barre syndrome," she said.

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