Serious Adverse Reactions to the H1N1 Vaccine
H1N1, the so-called “swine flu” virus that caused the first global pandemic in more than 40 years, isn’t back. It never left. “No, it didn’t go away. It’s actually predicted to circulate again this flu season,” Randall Todd, director of epidemiology and public health preparedness for the Washoe County Health District, said Thursday. “Because of that, the novel H1N1 virus has been incorporated into the vaccine for seasonal mix of strains predicted to circulate this flu season,” he said.
Since the H1N1 “swine flu” has been combined with this years annual flu shot we thought we would a list of any known side effects of the swine flu vaccination. Many people who received the H1N1 vaccine wonder if symptoms they experienced later were related to the shot. Here is a look at some of the more severe side effects.
Manufacturers’ Warnings Some of the more serious disorders listed in information provided by manufacturers of the vaccine have to do with severe allergic reactions, nervous system disorders and respiratory disorders. Because the vaccine contains egg, anyone allergic to egg is at risk of developing an allergy to the vaccine. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that involves the whole body. It can cause difficulty in breathing and can lead to shock and death.
Nervous System Disorders and H1N1 Vaccine Guillain-Barre syndrome is a nervous system disorder that can cause paralysis of the limbs. The first symptoms are weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. Paralysis can spread throughout the body and threaten the respiratory system. Other nervous system disorders identified by vaccine manufacturers are convulsions or seizures, tremors, fainting, and paralysis of the facial muscles. Unusual skin sensations like tingling or the decrease of tactile sensitivity may be associated with peripheral nerve damage. In addition, lymphadenopathy or swollen lymph nodes, conjunctivitis or eye infection, eye pain, aversion to light, dysphagia or difficulty swallowing, vomiting, chest pain, inflammation, and skin infections have been identified with H1N1 vaccine.
Long-Term Side Effects Some believe that vaccines may be linked to wide-ranging long-term serious side effects such as autism and immune system dysfunction. The National Vaccine Information Center supports research “into the reported association between inflammatory bowel disease, developmental delays and vaccination in young children” and other vaccine related research.
Adverse Reactions Reports The US Government has made available to the public their Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database. This database contains reports submitted by medical personnel and individuals along with patient statistics such as age, sex and some medical history. The database can be searched using a vaccine’s name and will report the number of adverse events related to the vaccine along with the individual reports.
Although it is not always possible to determine with 100% certainty whether symptoms following a vaccination have been caused by the vaccine, drug trials and patient reports can help identify vaccine related adverse reactions. The most common reactions to vaccines are generally mild. However, there are serious reactions that may be connected to the H1N1 vaccine.
