What Should I Do if My Child is Complaining of Shoulder Pain After Getting a Flu Shot?

Shoulder pain is among the most-common complaints following vaccinations among both children and adults. In general, vaccine injections are expected to cause a moderate amount of shoulder pain, with this pain subsiding within 24 to 48 hours.

However, if shoulder pain following a vaccination persists, or if the pain is more than a mild throb at the injection site, it could potentially be symptomatic of a vaccine-related injury. These injuries, known as shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), are among the most-common complications from vaccine injections, and they are a risk for vaccine recipients of all ages. Continue reading

CDC Releases FAQs for the 2019-2020 Flu Season

The 2019-2020 flu season is here. Each flu season, well over 100 million Americans get vaccinated, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that, on average, the flu shot protects 40 to 60 percent of recipients against infection annually.

5 Highlights from the CDC’s 2019-2020 Flu Season FAQs

For individuals and parents who have questions about the annual flu shot, the best thing to do is to consult with your physician. However, the CDC has also published answers to a number of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about the flu vaccine for the 2019-2020 flu season. Here are some of the highlights: Continue reading

CDC: Flu Shot Reduces Pregnant Women’s Risk of Hospitalization Due to Infection by 40 Percent

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend an annual flu shot for everyone beginning at six months of age, subject to limited exceptions for individuals who present certain risk factors. The general recommendation to get vaccinated includes women who are pregnant. According to the CDC:

“Getting a flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu. Pregnant women should get a flu shot and not the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as nasal spray flu vaccine. Flu vaccines given during pregnancy help protect both the mother and her baby from flu. Vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by up to one-half… Pregnant women who get a flu vaccine are also helping to protect their babies from flu illness for the first several months after their birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated.”

Continue reading

Flu Shot Injuries: Symptoms, Treatment & Compensation

If you are experiencing pain or other unusual sensations or limitations following a flu shot, these could be symptoms of an illness or injury resulting from your vaccination. Each year, tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with vaccine-related medical conditions, many of them resulting from flu vaccine injections in the shoulder.

When you make an appointment to have yourself or your children vaccinated, it is important to make sure that you understand potential risks that may be involved. It is also important to make sure you know the steps for pursuing compensation for vaccine injuries. Continue reading