Vaccine Side Effects

Shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) are among the most common vaccine-related injuries. Each year, we represent dozens of individuals who have been diagnosed with SIRVA after receiving flu shots, tetanus shots and other immunizations.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with SIRVA, or if you have concerns about the risk of SIRVA following a vaccination, it is important that you make informed decisions. Here are 10 important facts about

You got vaccinated, and now your shoulder hurts. Is your pain normal? Or, could it be a sign of a potentially-serious shoulder injury? Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) is among the most-common negative side effects of vaccinations, and can lead to enormous medical bills, loss of income, and chronic pain and suffering.

If you have been diagnosed with a form of SIRVA, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal government program that exists exclusively to help individuals who have been diagnosed with vaccine-related illnesses and injuries. Under the VICP, individuals diagnosed with SIRVA can recover financial compensation for their financial and non-financial losses; and, in many cases, proof of the cause of the injury is not required.

In May 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of a new immunization quality improvement program. The program, known as Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP), replaces the existing Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and eXchange (AFIX) program as of July 1, 2019. As the CDC

Each year, hundreds of people seek financial compensation for vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. Many more suffer injuries and illnesses that are never reported; and, as researchers continue learn more about the risks associated with different types of vaccinations, more types of injuries and illnesses are being recognized as vaccine-related.

There are two primary ways that vaccine recipients can experience complications from their immunizations: (i) adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients, and (ii) errors during vaccine administration.

1. Adverse Reactions to Vaccine Ingredients

Individuals who experience adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients can face a variety of medical consequences.

Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) choose the specific strains to be targeted with the annual flu shot based upon an examination of thousands of influenza virus samples collected from patients worldwide. The selection process is not easy, and the challenges involved in choosing the most-effective formulation of the flu vaccine in any given year are largely to blame for the flu shot’s limited effectiveness in recent years.

Now, however, scientists may have found a more-effective way to choose vaccines for future seasons. Using new “HINT” technology, scientists believe that it may now be possible to better identify the flu strains that most likely to infect people year to year.

“SIRVA,” or “shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration,” describes a set of injuries that are linked to errors during the vaccine injection process. These injuries are entirely unrelated to the ingredients of the vaccines being injected; instead, they result from improper administration such as inserting the needle too high on the arm or too deep into the shoulder.

For individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses, filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) can be an important step in the recovery process. The VICP provides financial compensation for claimants’ medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering; and, for many individuals, these are costs that they simply cannot endure on their own.

After advising against use of the nasal spray flu vaccine during the 2016-2017 and2017-2018 flu seasons due to lack of effectiveness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has re-approved use of the nasal spray vaccine for the 2018-2019 flu season. As stated on the CDC’s website:

“For the 2018-2019 flu season, [the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)] recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine (IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.

Vaccines are not just for children. In addition to the annual flu shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a number of immunizations for adults. This includes “catch-up” immunizations for vaccines not received during childhood, vaccinations that are specifically recommended for adults, and vaccines for travel and other specific circumstances.

Adults who are unsure whether then need to get vaccinated can take the CDC’s Adult Vaccine Quiz. Accurately completing the quiz will help you determine which vaccines you should discuss with your doctor. Other than whether you have received the chickenpox vaccine (to which you can answer, “Not sure”), you do not need any information about your medical or vaccination history in order to complete the quiz.

Take the CDC’s Adult Vaccine Quiz.

Additional Vaccine Resources for Adults

As an adult, it is important to make informed decisions about getting vaccinated. This means understanding which vaccines you need, the benefits of those vaccines, and the risks associated with particular vaccine ingredients and the vaccine administration process. For more information, we encourage you to read:

While vaccine injuries are relatively rare overall, they are more common than most people realize. Each year, hundreds of individuals file claims with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), and these claimants represent only a small fraction of the vaccine recipients who experience pain and other symptoms as a result of their vaccinations.

From allergic reactions to spinal cord damage, vaccines have the potential to cause a variety of injuries, illnesses and other potentially-dangerous medical conditions. However, two types of conditions are particularly common: (i) shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), and (ii) Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).

About SIRVA and GBS

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The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is among the most-effective vaccines in use today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that cases of measles have dropped by 99 percent since the introduction of the MMR vaccine; and overall, the MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective for individuals who receive both of the recommended doses.