Nerve Injuries from Vaccines & Ulnar Neuropathy

What is injection-related neuropathy?

Can vaccines cause nerve damage? The ulnar nerve, which spans from the medial cord of the brachial plexus (upper arm) to the hand, is susceptible to injury from vaccines. Several mechanisms can explain injection-related neuropathy, including direct trauma to the nerve fibers from the needle, hematomas caused by the injection, which lead to nerve compression, and a direct toxic effect of the injected material on nerve fibers.

What does nerve damage from an injection feel like?

Neuropathy involves weakness, arm numbness, and pain resulting from nerve damage. The most common injury for injection-related neuropathy, or neuropathy induced by a vaccine, is ulnar neuropathy. The ulnar nerve in the upper arm, based on its location, is specifically susceptible to trauma from vaccinations injected too deep into the deltoid muscle or rotator cuff area. This trauma can result in nerve damage.

What happens when a vaccine hits a nerve?

When a vaccine hits a nerve, it can cause damage to the nerve, and neuropathy. This can cause various symptoms, depending on the severity and location of the nerve damage.

Neuropathy after vaccination is a rare but known side effect of some vaccines. If you feel numbness in arm after vaccination then it is wise to seek medical attention sooner rather than later.

Symptoms of nerve damage from a vaccine

This ulnar nerve impingement typically results in numbness and tingling down the affected arm into the small and ring fingers. It can also affect grip strength and hand/finger coordination. These injuries differ from SIRVA, resulting in shoulder pain, subacromial bursitis, or an axillary nerve injury. In rare cases, an adverse event from a vaccine can trigger a peripheral neuropathy response located around the brain and spinal cord. The immune response to these events is often weakness and numbness throughout the hands and feet.

More symptoms of neuropathy include:

• Pain: Nerve damage from a vaccine can cause pain in the affected area, which can range from mild to severe.
  Numbness or tingling: Nerve damage can cause a loss of sensation in the affected area, or a tingling or "pins and needles" sensation.
• Weakness: Nerve damage can cause weakness or loss of strength in the affected muscles or limbs.
• Paralysis: In severe cases, nerve damage can cause paralysis or a loss of movement or function in the affected area.
• Muscle twitching or spasms: Nerve damage can cause muscle twitching or involuntary muscle contractions, which can be uncomfortable or even painful.
• Sensitivity to touch: Nerve damage can cause increased sensitivity to touch or a heightened sense of pain in response to pressure or movement.

Recently, My Vaccine Lawyer's founding partner Paul Brazil was interviewed by Jodie Fleischer of NBC4 Washington about SIRVA injuries from vaccines along with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a federal compensation program for flu vaccine injuries in the United States. Paul and Jodie also discuss the frequency of vaccine injuries and the lack of public knowledge about the VICP.

 

Learn About the Vaccine Injury Court

How to report an ulnar neuropathy vaccine injury

In the wake of a suffering damaging side effects to your nervous system from the influenza vaccination or another vaccination, you should seek immediate medical attention. Be sure to provide the date of vaccination, the vaccine administrator’s information and the injection site (i.e., left or right arm.) Your medical provider will ensure that you begin a course of treatment to best address your symptoms. Additionally, you should:

• Call your doctor as some vaccine injuries such as a severe allergic reaction can be life-threatening if left untreated;
• Tell your doctor exactly what happened, the date and time of your vaccine, and shoulder it was given;
• Ask your doctor to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ("VAERS") form.

VAERS stands for the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which is a program managed by the CDC. The program processes submitted reports of vaccine injuries and adverse events from those who have been injured. It is important to note that VAERS does not diagnose those who have been injured with a vaccine injury, but rather compile data about reported adverse reactions for the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of improving vaccine safety measures in the future. There are no restrictions to who can file a VAERS report and it is often used as supplemental evidence in vaccine cases when determining the onset of an injury or symptoms.

 

Compensation for an ulnar neuropathy injury

If you or a loved one has suffered nerve damage from a vaccine, or any related debilitating immune system response from a vaccine, you may be entitled to compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. For more information, please contact us for a free consultation. 

 

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