A schoolgirl who falls asleep up to 30 times a day in class is to undergo pioneering drug treatment.
Chloe Glasson, 15, developed the nightmare sleeping disorder narcolepsy after being vaccinated with swine flu drug Pandemrix in November 2009. Studies have found a 10-fold increase in the risk of developing the disorder after getting the Pandemrix jab.
Now Chloe is hoping a specialist drug called sodium oxybate, which costs a staggering £13,000 a year, will finally allow her to establish a more normal sleeping pattern.
Mum Rebecca, of Dysart, Fife, said: “Chloe’s life has been devastated after we followed government advice to have her immunised against the threat of swine flu. She has gone from being a bright, outgoing girl to one who cannot go out on her own.
“She doesn’t doze for more than a couple of hours at a time, but she can have disturbing dreams. We desperately hope this new treatment will help.”
Rebecca revealed that Chloe recently went missing for two hours after going into dream-like autopilot on a short journey to her gran’s house. The family contacted police after becoming terrified something had happened to her. They were hugely relieved when the youngster eventually found her own way home.
The new drug treatment will be administered by doctors at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Chloe, a pupil of Balwearie High, Kirkcaldy, said: “I am putting a lot of faith in the treatment.
“It’s my ambition to be a drama teacher and while the tablets won’t cure me, they may offer the chance of a more normal life.”
The UK Government revealed in September that it would pay damages to some victims treated with the Pandemrix vaccine before 31 August, 2010. Chloe’s family hope she will get the maximum £120,000 compensation.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency dropped the vaccine from the flu campaign in 2011.
Narcolepsy is typically caused by the gradual loss of neurons that produce hypocretin, a hormone that keeps people awake.
Matt O’Neill, of charity Narcolepsy UK, said: “We believe more than 100 people have developed narcolepsy because of the swine flu vaccine. Our conference in Birmingham in January will allow families affected to meet and discuss the issues.”
Makers GlaxoSmithKline said: “Patient safety is our number one priority and we are actively researching how narcolepsy is triggered and how this vaccine might have interacted with other risk factors in affected individuals.
“We hope ongoing research efforts will enable us to provide more answers.”
Have you or a loved one suffered narcolepsy or other illness after getting the flu vaccine? Contact jboyle@sundaypost.com or call 0141 567 2776.
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