Seizures reported after Sanofi flu shot

By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON | Thu Jan 20, 2011:

(Reuters) - U.S. health officials are investigating a rise in reports of a type of seizure following vaccination with a Sanofi-Aventis SA flu vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.

The febrile seizures, or seizures related to a fever, have primarily been reported in children younger than 2, the FDA said in a statement on its website.

Data are preliminary and the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating if the seizures are associated with the vaccine, called Fluzone, or if other factors were involved, the FDA said.

Having a fever can cause a seizure in some children. About 4 percent of young children will have at least one febrile seizure in their lifetimes, the FDA said.

"In the cases reported, all children recovered and no lasting effects have been seen," the FDA said. Read more>>