Reports of some doctors giving young children a banned flu vaccination "defies belief", Australia's chief medical officer says.
The bioCSL Fluvax was suspended from use for children under five years old after an increase in febrile convulsions in children was linked to the vaccine in 2010.
Earlier this month a five-year-old Perth girl received a confidential multi-million dollar payout after becoming severely disabled after receiving the bioCSL Fluvax in 2010.
Despite this, in 2013 there were 43 reported cases of the bioCSL Fluvax administered to children under five. So far this year there had been 31 cases, Professor Chris Baggoley said.
He admitted this figure was low, considering 48,360 children under five were given flu jabs last year. There were also no reports of adverse events.
However, Prof Baggoley said it "defies belief" that some GPs said they were not aware of the ban, despite receiving a letter from him about it and other measures to inform them.
"In context, it's minuscule, but for every child that's been put at risk it makes me profoundly cranky," he said in Melbourne on Tuesday at the National Immunisation Conference.
The federal department of health advises that the bioCSL Fluvax should not be used for children under five years. Other suitable vaccines are available.
It advises that the vaccination should only be used in children five to nine years old after careful consideration of the benefits and risks.
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