INFLUENZA/FLU VACCINES and SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL REACTIONS THEY MAY TRIGGER
Common mild flu shot side effects can occur after a
flu vaccine and may include (but are not limited to):
- soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given;
- sore, red or itchy eyes;
- cough;
- fever;
- aches.
If these problems occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last
one-two days. Additionally, life-threatening allergic
reactions from vaccines have been known to occur in rare cases.
These range from rashes/hives (urticaria,) breathing problems,
hoarseness or wheezing, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat or
dizziness. When they do occur, it is usually within a
few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
In addition to a severe allergic reaction or the mild reactions outlined
above, the flu vaccine can also cause very severe neurological problems.
Neurological problems due to nerve damage after vaccination are a
fairly common adverse event with flu vaccines. In
1976, there were more cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) reported
after vaccination than there were confirmed cases of Swine flu.
Guillain-Barré (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder where a patient's
immune system miscommunicates and attacks its own nervous system,
damaging the coating around the nerves. GBS can also be
triggered by vaccinations such as the H1N1 vaccine (Swine Flu
Vaccination), Tetanus shot, combination vaccines that include the
Tetanus and/or the Perttusis vaccine such as the TD, TDaP and DTaP,
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A vaccines, the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
(HPV) such as Guardasil, and other vaccinations. The
symptoms of GBS typically start within a 1 day to 10 weeks after
vaccination. GBS affects people of all ages and both
genders, although males contract it more commonly than women, at a ratio
of about 5 to 4. The first symptom of Guillain-Barré
syndrome is often weakness or tingling in the legs.
Those unusual sensations can increase in intensity and spread to the
arms and upper body until the victim becomes completely paralyzed and
helpless. GBS can cause such severe muscle weakness
that patients might also be put on a ventilator to breathe.
Symptoms progress rapidly toward the upper body, sometimes
resulting in death. Pain and fatigue are also
associated with the vaccinations. Generally, there is
no 100% cure for GBS, but therapy can sometimes lessen the severity and
restore some of the original muscle function.
Every vaccine on the market is associated with certain risks.
Flu vaccines are no exception. As government
agencies and medical authorities around the world urge entire
populations to protect themselves from the latest strains of flu, little
is said about the potential risks associated with this year's miracle
cures.
Nerve damage resulting from flu vaccines can also present itself as
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP).
CIDP is closely related to GBS in the fact that it is also a
result of nerve damage caused by destruction of the myelin sheath
surrounding peripheral nerves. CIDP also begins with
unusual sensations in the arms and legs, progressive weakness and loss
of muscle use. The only real difference between GBS
and CIDP is that CIDP does not come on as suddenly and is a long-lasting
or chronic condition. Also, one might suffer GBS,
become almost 100% recovered, have some other inciting event such as
another vaccine or fatigue, a cold or upper respiratory infection that
may cause the person to have a reoccurrence of their GBS or relapse.
When the GBS happens a second time, it is then reclassified as
CIDP.
Complete 100% recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome or CIDP does rarely
occur, but often it is a long and painful road of therapy and treatment.
Unfortunately, some GBS and CIDP patients end up with severe
disabilities that will last throughout their lives, while other patients
do not survive. This is true of all of the rare,
severe, adverse effects from vaccinations.
The flu vaccine is also known to cause central nervous system (CNS)
disorders such as transverse myelitis (TM); Acute Inflammatory
Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP); and, aplastic anemia. Transverse
myelitis (TM) affects the nerves in the spinal cord, causing weakness in
the legs, arms and back as well as numbness and loss of function.
You might also experience significant pain.
While not conclusively proven, there is a strong link between the
flu vaccine and some cases of TM. When you have any
potential symptoms as outlined in this article, tell your doctor
immediately what happened, the date and time it happened, and when you
got the flu shot or other vaccination.
The Law Office of Lisa A. Roquemore represents patients across the
country suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome as well as other severe
reactions caused by vaccines. In 1986, the federal
government set up the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
to offer financial help to people who have experienced that rare and
severe reaction from vaccinations. As a vaccine
attorney, this office will file for those experiencing vaccine injuries
for more than 6 months a lawsuit in the United States Court of Federal
Claims in Washington, D.C. The outcome of the lawsuit
determines what kind of compensation a victim may receive.
For many years, the vaccine Law Office of Lisa A. Roquemore has
helped patients across the nation recover financial settlements
and judgments for the injuries caused by adverse vaccine reactions.
If you find yourself with a vaccine injury, contact this office, which
has the significant experience in representing clients before the United
States Federal Court of Claims/federal vaccine court.
Filing a vaccine injury claim is an extremely complex and adversary
process; and, important deadlines exist. There are no
legal fees for an injured client represented by the Law Office of Lisa
A. Roquemore. From time to time during the case and
at the end of the case, this law firm will request the Court for
reimbursement of the fees and costs incurred while representing you.
This reimbursement is separate from any money you are awarded by
the Court. Further, we will file for reimbursement of
various costs that you have personally incurred due to your vaccine
injury that have not been reimbursed, such as copy costs, postage,
insurance deductibles, prescription deductibles, mileage to your
doctors, items purchased to assist you due to your injury and much more.
E-mail: info@vaccine-law.com