What to Do After Being Diagnosed with a Vaccine-Related Illness or Injury

Vaccine-related illness and injuries are more common than most people realize. Since 1988, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has paid more than $3.2 billion to thousands of individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related medical conditions, and this represents only a small fraction of the number of people who have experienced shoulder injuries, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), anaphylaxis and other life-altering complications as a result of their vaccinations.

What should you do if you have been diagnosed with a vaccine-related illness or injury? Here are five tips for protecting your health and your legal rights:

1. Follow Your Doctor’s Advice

After being diagnosed with a

Choosing a Vaccine Lawyer: When, Why and How to Seek Legal Representation for Your VICP Claim

If you have been diagnosed with a vaccine illness or injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP has paid well over $3 billion to individuals suffering from vaccine-related medical conditions; and, since the VICP pays claimants’ legal fees separately from their financial awards, hiring a lawyer to handle your VICP claim can come at little or no out-of-pocket cost to you.

While Congress established the VICP to make it easier for individuals diagnosed with vaccine injuries and illnesses to recover their losses (as compared to filing a lawsuit against a major pharmaceutical company), filing a successful VICP claim is not a simple process. An experienced vaccine injury lawyer can help, and seeking legal representation quickly is the best thing you can do to help maximize your financial recovery.

What Types of Vaccine Illnesses and Injuries are Covered?

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program provides compensation for all vaccine-related illnesses and injuries.

When making preparations to travel overseas, it is important not to overlook the need for obtaining the vaccinations recommended for the region to which you are traveling. In addition to the standard vaccination schedules for children and adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends several vaccines for travelers depending upon their travel destinations.

Overseas travelers can find the CDC’s recommendations on the agency’s Travelers’ Health page.

For individuals diagnosed with vaccine injuries, finding reliable information can be difficult. Vaccines are a hot-button issue for many individuals, and many websites claiming to provide vaccine-related resources are often out-of-date and often provide accurate information.

When seeking information about vaccines and the compensation available for vaccine injuries, websites of federal government agencies are the most reliable source of informaiton.

Vaccines are critical to public health and serve as one of the most effective tools in preventing infectious illness and disease.

Although vaccines are necessary for keeping the public safe from illness and disease, like any form of medical treatment, although rare, the potential for adverse side effects or reactions does exist.  

If you or a loved one has experienced long lasting shoulder pain, reduced range of motion, tingling sensations, burning or numbness following vaccination, you may be experiencing  a vaccine reaction.  Below are some of the more common signs and symptoms to be aware of when trying to determine whether an adverse vaccine reaction has occurred.

Symptoms of Vaccine Injuries

While the symptoms of vaccine injuries can vary depending upon the type of vaccine that was administered, listed below are some of the more common symptoms and injuries that can occur.

Like all vaccinations, the annual flu shot carries certain risks. These include the risk of being diagnosed with brachial neuritis or a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). Learn more from national vaccine attorney Leah V. Durant.

According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this year’s flu shot has been 48 percent effective. Learn more about the effectiveness of the 2016-2017 flu shot and the risk of flu shot-related illnesses and injuries.

Pain following a vaccination could be a sign of a potentially-serious injury or medical condition. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends several vaccinations for both children and adults, the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and others also note several reactions associated with vaccinations. This includes risks that are specific to individual vaccines as well as risks tied to the vaccine administration process.

What to Do if You or Someone You Love is Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome Following a Flu Vaccination

Although reported cases remain relatively rare, awareness of the link between Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and the flu shot is growing. Our firm has helped clients obtain compensation for vaccine-related GBS, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has proposed adding GBS to the Vaccine Injury Table – an official record of recognized medical conditions associated with certain vaccines.

If you or someone you love one has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, it is important to determine whether you or your loved one’s condition is related to the flu vaccination.
Read more . . .

How Much is My Claim Worth? Calculating Damages for Vaccine Injury Claims

Before filing a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), it is important to understand the elements of damages that are available to petitioners in vaccine injury claims. While your vaccine attorney will handle the specifics of preparing a demand for compensation for you, you will need to provide your attorney with information critical to your demand to assist your attorney in the compilation of documents and the calculation of your demand for damages.

In vaccine injury claims, there are three primary types of compensation available:

• Out of Pocket Expenses
• Lost Wages
• Pain and Suffering

Calculating Medical Expenses from a Vaccine Injury

Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, individuals who experience vaccine-related injuries are Read more . . .

HPV Vaccine Shows Promising Results

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually-transmitted infection that newly affects approximately three million people in the United States every year. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that as many as one out of every four Americans may be infected with HPV.
Read more . . .