How was Guillain-Barré Syndrome associated with the 1976 Swine flu vaccine?
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. It is not fully understood why some people develop GBS, but it is believed that stimulation of the body’s immune system may play a role in its development. People can also develop GBS after having the flu or other infections. On very rare occasions, they may develop GBS in the days or weeks following receiving a vaccination. In 1976, there was a small risk of GBS following influenza (swine flu) vaccination (approximately 1 additional case per 100,000 people who received the swine flu vaccine). That number of GBS cases was slightly higher than what is normally seen in the population, whether or not people were vaccinated. Since then, numerous studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines were associated with GBS. There has never been a repeat observance of increased cases since 1976. Since the novel H1N1 vaccine is produced and manufa
Related Questions
- How can a repeat of the 1976 swine flu vaccine complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome) experienced in the United States of America be avoided?
- The last swine flu vaccine in 1976 caused Guillain-Barre syndrome. Won’t that happen with this vaccine?
- Why did the previous swine flu vaccine cause Guillain-Barre syndrome?
