PBS News Hour: 4 Tips for Staying Healthy During Flu Season
While getting the flu shot can help reduce your risk of getting sick, it does not guarantee protection against influenza. Over the past decade, the flu shot’s overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) rating has ranged from 19 to 60 percent, and each year millions of Americans still choose...
What are the Risks of Getting a Flu Shot Too High on the Arm?
There are right and wrong ways to administer vaccines. Although giving someone a flu shot may seem like a fairly straightforward process, mistakes during immunizations are common, and these mistakes often lead to a class of injuries known as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA). One of the most-common mistakes that...
7 Key Facts about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
For individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses, securing financial compensation often involves filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). If you or a loved one has been diagnosed, here are seven key facts for you to know:
1. The NVICP is a Federal...HRSA Considering Adding Newly-Recommended Vaccines for Pregnant Women to Vaccine Injury Table
Every so often, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) makes changes to the Vaccine Injury Table. The HRSA has made a couple of major changes in recent years, adding Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) resulting from flu shots and shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) resulting from most of the “on-table”...
How Can I Recover Financial Compensation for SIRVA?
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...
Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) Provide Useful Information About CDC-Recommended Vaccines
For individuals with questions about vaccines, Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are a good place to find reliable information. Vaccine Information Statements are documents published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that, “inform vaccine recipients – or their parents or legal representatives – about the benefits...
American Academy of Pediatrics No Longer Recommends Flu Shot Over Nasal Spray Vaccine
On March 14, 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced that it will not be recommending the flu shot over the nasal spray flu vaccine for the 2019-2020 flu season. This represents a reversal of the AAP’s position during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 flu seasons, when it recommended against use of...
CDC Announces New Program Focused on Immunization Quality Improvement
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
DT, DTaP, Td and Tdap: Understanding the Different Types of Tetanus Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend tetanus vaccinations for children and adults. Tetanus is a type of bacterial infection that can cause a wide range of symptoms, and that can potentially lead to fatal respiratory failure. The tetanus vaccine is generally considered safe for most people, and is specifically...
Mid-Year Review: Recent Case Results Under the VICP
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims (also known as the Vaccine Court) is on pace to issue a record number of awards under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) in 2019. As of June 1, the Vaccine Court has issued 404 awards to vaccine recipients, totaling nearly $145 million in compensation....