# 4315
While influenza vaccines are generally quite safe, that isn’t to say they are 100% benign. Rare side effects do occur. And sometimes those side effects can be serious.
Of course, there are thousands of deaths and serious side effects each year attributed to the use of over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and Tylenol as well.
There is no such thing as a completely safe drug.
We must balance the risks of taking any drug with the benefits they can provide. And with tens of thousands of deaths each year from influenza, the miniscule risks posed by the influenza vaccine are generally well worth taking.
The article below delves into the investigation of 17 possible cases of severe vaccine reactions in Canada. The anaphylactic responses are probably reasonably linked to the vaccine while the GBS (Guillain Barre Syndrome) cases are less certain.
It should be noted that Canada could reasonably expect several hundred cases of GBS in any given year, even without the use of a vaccine. Most cases of GBS in the past have been linked to bacterial and viral infections, and not to vaccines.
Province looking into 17 cases
By SHARON LEM, QMI Agency
TORONTO -- The Ontario health ministry is investigating 17 cases in which people fell seriously ill after the receipt of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
Andrew Morrison, spokeman for the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, said the cases include four vaccine recipients who came down with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) — a rare neurological condition characterized by sudden weakness or parlysis. Another 13 people came down with anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction which can include symptoms of anaphylactic shock, rapid heartbeat, itchiness in the skin and difficulty breathing.
The CDC maintains a fact sheet on GBS on their website.
Fact Sheet: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)
December 15, 2009, 3:30 PM ET
Guillain-Barré syndrome is rare
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which a person’s own immune system damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last for as little as a few weeks, or go on for several months. Most people recover fully from GBS, but some people have nerve damage that does not go away. In rare cases, people have died of GBS, usually from not being able to breathe due to weakness of their breathing muscles.GBS may have several causes
While it is not fully known what causes GBS, it is known that about two-thirds of people who get GBS do so several days or weeks after they have been sick with diarrhea or a lung or sinus illness. An infection with the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, which can cause diarrhea, is one of the most common illnesses linked to GBS. Although rare, people can also get GBS after having the flu or other infections such as Epstein Barr virus. Except for the swine flu vaccine used in 1976, no other flu vaccines have been clearly linked to GBS.GBS is more common in older adults
Anyone can get GBS, but it is far more common in adults than children. Adults over 50 years of age are 2-3 times more likely to get GBS than younger people. Each year, between 6,000 and 9,100 people in the United States get GBS. This means that about 140 people get GBS every week.Getting GBS from a vaccination is very rare
In very rare cases, someone may develop GBS in the days or weeks after getting a vaccination. In 1976, there was a small increased chance of GBS after getting a flu (swine flu) vaccination. This means about 1 more case per 100,000 people who got the swine flu vaccine.Many studies have looked at seasonal flu vaccines and GBS
Since 1976, many studies have been done to see if other flu vaccines may cause GBS. In most studies no link was found between the flu vaccine and GBS. However, two studies did suggest that about 1 more person out of 1 million people vaccinated with seasonal flu vaccine may develop GBS. This continues to be studied. For the most part, the chance of getting very ill from flu is far higher than the chance of getting GBS after getting the flu vaccine.
