Finnish scientists have found a direct link between the swine flu vaccine and an increase in narcolepsy cases in children. The national working group on narcolepsy has confirmed in its final report that people aged between four and 19 who received the Pandemrix vaccine in the winter of 2009-2010 are 13 times more likely to suffer from sleep disorder.

There is no evidence that the H1N1 virus itself would have caused narcolepsy, which sees afflicted people suffer from sudden and frequent daytime ‘sleep attacks’, but those who received the Pandemrix injection were found to have a higher genetic propensity for the disorder than the general population.

A compensation system is in the process of being established in Finland for some of the 100 youngsters who have reported contracting narcolepsy since receiving the vaccine. Similar studies on Pandemrix results have also turned up the same results in Norway, Sweden and France.