Narcolepsy Claims

Following the Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemic in 2009/2010, over 900,000 doses of the Pandemrix vaccination were administered to people in Ireland. Following the investigations done by the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) and The Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the European Medicines Agency have released a positive link between Pandemrix and Narcolepsy and they have recommended a labelling change that limits the vaccine’s use in children and teens to when protection is needed and seasonal trivalent vaccine isn't available.

The HSE have now confirmed that, since the Swine Flu epidemic, there are over 30 new cases of children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks. Many of the children diagnosed with narcolepsy, have also developed cataplexy which is a sudden loss of muscle tone ranging from slackness of facial muscles to total collapse.

On behalf of the families affected by this, we are currently investigating their claims to seek compensation for all of the children who have been diagnosed with narcolepsy. The Finnish Pharmaceutical Insurance Pool has confirmed that it will pay compensation to those who developed narcolepsy after receiving the Pandemrix vaccination. We would hope that following our investigations, we would be able to achieve a similar result for all of the children who have been affected by this in Ireland.

If following our investigations, we can prove that the Pandemrix vaccination is causally related to these children and adolescents developing narcolepsy, each of those affected will be entitled to recover damages under the Liability for Defective Products Act, 1991 (the “Act”)