Leah Durant | Vaccine Attorney - Vaccine Blog

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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When seeking financial compensation for a vaccine-related injury or illness, you are bound to come across a number of initials and acronyms with which you are unfamiliar. Figuring out what these abbreviations stand for – and how they are relevant to your vaccine injury claim – is one of the first steps toward understanding your legal rights.

Understanding Your Claim for Financial Compensation After a Vaccine Injury 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency responsible for establishing recommended vaccination schedules and providing the public with information about the risks associated with different types of immunizations. When looking for information about vaccine safety or the side effects associated with vaccine injuries, the CDC’s Vaccines & Immunizations site is a good place to start.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare but dangerous illness that has been linked to the flu shot and certain other immunizations. There are a number of acute and chronic variants of GBS, including Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP).

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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:

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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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