14 yr. old boy develops Guillain-Barre hours after H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine

November 14, 6:20 AMNatural Health ExaminerGenevieve Kiger

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Are the Risks of H1N1 Vaccine or H1N1 Symptoms the Bigger Threat?

A high school athlete, Jordan McFarland, from Virginia, developed symptoms of Guillain-Barre mere hours after receiving the H1N1 vaccination according to reports that came out on November 12th.

What is Guillain-Barre?

According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), "Guillain-Barre (pronounced ghee-YAN bah-RAY) syndrome is a disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells (outside of the brain and spinal cord), resulting in muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can last for weeks to months. Most people eventually recover completely or nearly completely, but some people have permanent nerve damage and between 5% and 6% of people who develop GBS die. GBS affects people of both sexes and all ages, and has been reported in all races."

How Common is Guillain-Barre?

So far, since H1N1 swine flu vaccinations began on October 6th, the CDC has received reports of five other cases of GBS; Jordan would make the sixth.  With 40 million doses administered so far, that means it is far lower than the cases of GBS among those who receive the normal seasonal flu shot, which is about 1 case in every million seasonal flu vaccine recipients.  

Information from the CDC states that the most common cause of Guillain-Barre is bacterial infection; however, it goes on to say, "In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting GBS. Several studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines since 1976 were associated with GBS. Only one of the studies showed an association. That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine."

Is This a Reason Not to Receive the H1N1 Shots?

Health officials insist it isn't.  They continue to say that although such cases can be horrible for the individuals that suffer from them, they pose a much smaller risk than the disease H1N1 swine flu symptoms the vaccine protects against.  “The H1N1 illness is making lots of children very ill," said Dr. Claudia J. Vellozzi, deputy director for immunization safety with the CDC. "There’s lots of illness and lots of death."

Still, between the risk of GBS and the mercury present in most H1N1 vaccines, many people – especially parents – remain wary, despite the risks of H1N1 swine flu symptoms.

photo © Budda | Dreamstime.com

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