Leah Durant | Vaccine Attorney - Vaccine Blog

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.

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The 25th annual National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) took place from April 27 to May 4, 2019. But, while this year’s National Infant Immunization Week may be over, the resources used to promote immunization safety during NIIW are available year-round, and they provide useful information for parents and health care providers.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to recommend several vaccinations for children and adults. Childhood, teen and adult vaccination schedules are available on the CDC’s website, as are specific recommendations for age groups from birth to 60 years of age or older:

 

 

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In 2018, we helped numerous individuals and families secure financial compensation for vaccine-related injuries and illnesses under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Combined, our clients received nearly $4.5 million in compensation. The following is an overview of the average award received by our clients, along with a breakdown of the most-common vaccines and vaccine-related injuries involved in VICP cases we successfully handled during the year.

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Errors during vaccination are among the leading causes of flu shot-related injuries. Reports of shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) have been on the rise in recent years; and, in an effort to reverse this trend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched an awareness campaign called, “Know the Site and Get it Right.”

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We have previously discussed the rising prevalence of National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) claims involving shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). Now, a report from Washington D.C. NBC affiliate News 4 reveals that, “half of all the new [VICP] cases allege ‘shoulder injury resulting from vaccine administration,’ or SIRVA, and have little or nothing to do with what was in the syringe.”

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“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.

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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.

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The first full week of December 2018 is National Influenza Vaccination Week, as designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, “National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national awareness week focused on highlighting the importance of influenza vaccination.”

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If you have been doing research online about childhood vaccination schedules or the risks associated with childhood vaccinations, you may have come across references to the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV). The ACCV is a chartered organization comprised of physicians, attorneys and other professionals who work in the vaccine field and who collectively provide recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) with regard to the operation of the
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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.

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