Flu shot

Injuries, Dangers, Side Effects & Reactions

An injury from a flu shot is the most common in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Have you been injured from the flu shot?

Learn what you can do to receive compensation for your condition.

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Injured by a flu shot?

Over 80% of vaccine injuries are from flu shots.

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What is an Influenza Flu Shot Injury?

Flu shot injuries following a vaccine administration can and do happen.

Every year, thousands of people receive a flu shot to prevent them from getting the common flu. Unfortunately, as the number of flu shot recipients rises each year in the United States, so do the number of vaccine injury claims.

At My Vaccine Lawyer, we understand the stress and burden flu vaccine injury symptoms like SIRVA or GBS can cause. If you experienced one, we’re here to help you navigate your next steps.

How does an injury from the flu shot occur?

Getting the flu can be an unpleasant ordeal. Difficulty breathing, runny nose, low energy, muscle aches – you feel totally beat.

Seasonal flu vaccines are generally a safe and effective way to prevent feeling this way. You rely on the flu shot to keep you and your family safe and healthy throughout the flu season.

Every flu vaccination goes through rigorous testing by the vaccine manufacturer. But in rare cases, adverse reactions to the vaccine or an injury from improper administration can still happen.

When a medical provider administers a vaccine incorrectly, it can result in a shoulder or neurological injury. These injuries usually occur when the shot is injected too deep, shallow, or too far to the left or right. This misstep creates physical trauma at the injection site.

A flu shot reactions like this can lead to:

Flu Vaccine Long-term and Serious Side Effects

Long-term side effects of the flu vaccine can include a decrease in vaccine effectiveness in consecutive years, lasting impacts on the immune system for up to six months, and a small association with neurological and autoimmune disorders like Guillain-Barré Syndrome. These effects have been observed in various studies, shedding light on the broader implications of flu vaccinations over extended periods.

Consecutive-Year Vaccinations and Diminished Effectiveness

A study from the University of Michigan found that receiving a flu shot for two consecutive years might lead to lower vaccine effectiveness in the second year, although the effects of a flu shot could last beyond one season (University of Michigan Study, Journal of Infectious Diseases)¹.

Extended Immune System Impact

Research indicated that the immune system's response to flu vaccines could last up to six months, providing a more extended window of altered immune landscape post-vaccination (Cell, 2021)².

Neurological and Autoimmune Disorders

In some instances, flu vaccines have been associated with an elevated risk of certain neurological and autoimmune disorders over a span of 8-10 months, as observed in a study examining the effects of the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine (BMJ)³.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Association

Some studies, including those cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have found a small association between the injectable flu vaccine and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare but serious neurological disorder⁴.

If you've experienced any of these conditions after receiving a flu vaccine, you may be eligible for compensation. Each year, My Vaccine Lawyer represents hundreds of clients with flu shot injuries. Contact our flu shot injury lawyers to discuss the process of filing a claim and navigating the VICP process.

Flu Vaccine Side Effects, Injury from Flu Shot | My Vaccine Lawyer

Flu shot injury symptoms

An increasing amount of people rely on the flu vaccine to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy and virus free during the flu season.

Each year, vaccine manufacturers create a new flu vaccine that fights the most common flu strains for the upcoming season. Like we said, these vaccines go through meticulous testing. But, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) warns, the influenza vaccine still has risks.

It's normal to experience minor flu vaccine side effects like a headache or some soreness at the injection site. There are ways to relieve the flu shot side effects and get back to feeling like yourself, but if your symptoms worsen or linger, it could be a sign of a more severe injury.

Mild flu shot side effects include:

Seizures cause by fever (particularly in children)
Swelling at the injection site such as the deltoid muscle
Strong aches and pains
Hoarseness and coughing
Fatigue and other flu-like symptoms

When a more severe flu vaccine injury like SIRVA or GBS occurs, it could lead to long-term treatment and care. At My Vaccine Lawyer, we believe no one should have to bear that burden alone.

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Flu Vaccine Injury Symptoms, Injury from Flu Shot | My Vaccine Lawyer

My Vaccine Lawyer Injury Payouts

If you or a loved one has experienced an injury from lingering flu vaccine side effects or a severe allergic reaction to the influenza vaccination this season, we will help you get compensated.

Work With A Flu Shot Vaccine Injury Lawyer

Once you submit your vaccine injury claim, your case will either be settled, or it will go to the vaccine court. Navigating the VICP process on top of managing your injury can be overwhelming, and we’re here to help make this process as seamless as possible.

These are a few important facts to remember about working with our team:

The VICP pays for your attorney fees, so there’s no cost to you to get represented by our highly-rated vaccine lawyers.
While you’re not required to work with a lawyer, it can increase your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve. Our team works with medical experts to build your case and defend it in the vaccine court.
Unlike other vaccine injury law firms, our team never passes you off to a paralegal. You’ll receive personable support directly from a vaccine lawyer, starting from your first consultation.

Book a free consultation to have one of our lawyers review your case. Know that the nation’s premier vaccine firm is on your side and representing your case.

Contact a Flu Shot Injury Lawyer Today!

How to report Flu Shot injuries

If you suspect you have a flu vaccine injury, immediately notify your doctor's office. Take these four steps to properly document your injury to use as evidence in your vaccine injury case:

Call a doctor immediately to receive treatment for your injury and symptoms.
Explain what happened to your doctor. Be sure to provide the date of vaccination, the vaccine administrator’s information, and the injection site (i.e., left or right arm.)
Ask your doctor to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ("VAERS") form or call at 1 (800) 822 - 7967.
Contact us for help filing a vaccine injury claim in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program ("VICP")

What is a VAERS form? The VAERS program collects data about adverse reactions to vaccines. The program aims to help the CDC and Food and Drug Administration improve vaccine safety measures in the future. Filing a VAERS report is separate from filing a vaccine injury claim for compensation. But the VAERs report can offer additional evidence in your vaccine case, so it's an important step.

If you experience a vaccine injury or adverse reaction, ask your doctor to file a VAERS report. This report documents the onset of your injury and symptoms. After you or your doctor files your VAERS form, contact us to start the compensation process. We guide you through how to submit a vaccine injury claim and how cases involve the Department of Health and Human Services. If you've already seen a doctor and didn't submit a VAERS report, don't worry. Our vaccine lawyers can help with this crucial step.

Learn about SIRVA, the most
common vaccine injury

Under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, the flu shot has become one of the most frequently filed vaccines for related injuries.

Lingering flu shot reactions can ultimately damage your arm and lead to shoulder injuries. Shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration, SIRVA, is the most common flu shot injury. To learn more about this condition, watch a quick video featuring one of our founders.

If you’re experiencing SIRVA, explore our resources for shoulder injuries related to the flu vaccine.

Experiencing Excessive Pain After Flu Shots: Could It Be More Than Just a Side Effect?

Excessive pain after flu shots may indicate a more serious problem than a typical side effect. It could be a sign of inflammation, infection, nerve damage, SIRVA, or an allergic reaction to the vaccine. In rare cases, it has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a serious autoimmune disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis.

If you experience excessive pain after receiving the flu vaccine, contacting your healthcare provider is important. They can evaluate your symptoms and determine if further treatment is necessary, which may include pain relievers or other medications to manage pain and inflammation.

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Treatment for a flu shot injury

Proper treatment of a flu vaccine injury largely depends upon the type of injury. Below are treatment options for some of the most common flu shot injuries.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome ("GBS")

This condition causes your body's immune system to attack your nerves, leading to tingling in your arms and legs, paralysis, nerve damage, and sometimes even death.

GBS is complex to treat since the severity of symptoms varies. But receiving care for this condition quickly is extremely important. Treatments for GBS Symptoms include:

Medications. Pain and blood-clot prevention.
Plasma Exchange (Plasmapheresis). This is a process that removes plasma from your blood cells. It aims to remove the antibodies within the plasma that contribute to the immune system's attack on the peripheral nerves.
Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy (IVIG). This process provides you with a high dose of immunoglobulins (antibodies) from donors. These immunoglobulins help block the damaging antibodies we mentioned.

Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration ("SIRVA")

When a medical professional injects your flu shot too high on your arm, it can lead to a shoulder injury. Symptoms of SIRVA usually include severe stiffness and pain in your shoulder – that likely prevents you from even moving it. Treatments to help alleviate persistent shoulder pain from SIRVA include:

A full round of physical therapy
Orthopedic treatments like corticosteroid injections
Anti-inflammatory medications
Surgery (in severe cases)

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis happens when the immune system releases a flood of chemicals in response to an allergen. The flu shot can trigger this reaction if your body is allergic to a component of the vaccine.

The chemicals cause severe and life-threatening symptoms throughout the body, including a drop in blood pressure and possibly even constricted airways. The universal treatment for anaphylactic episodes is an...

Epinephrine Injection. Reverses the effects of anaphylaxis by opening airways and dilating blood vessels to raise blood pressure.

Quickly receiving medical care for your flu shot injuries is vital. Some of these conditions are life-threatening or result in long-term care if untreated. Once you've received care for your injury, our team of expert flu shot injury lawyers can help you gain financial relief. We step in to guide you through every stage of the VICP process – and take as much as we can off your plate.

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The amount we've recovered for clients.

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Clients represented across the country in the past 10 years.

1,150+

SIRVA clients represented since 2020.

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Average Google review score from past clients.

I reached out to My Vaccine Lawyer after confirming I suffered from SIRVA. They were so helpful, understanding and thorough throughout the process. They were quick to respond, always answered the phone and I feel they fought to get me what I was entitled to. If you suffered from an injury then please call My Vaccine Lawyer. They will take care of you!

- Melissa Heffley, SIRVA Client

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Flu Shot Injuries FAQs

Can you sue for flu vaccine side effects?

Yes, you may be able to sue for flu vaccine side effects if you can prove that the vaccine caused your injury and that the vaccine manufacturer or healthcare provider was negligent or otherwise at fault.

If your injury is listed on the Vaccine Injury Table, you may be eligible for compensation through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

Generally, you cannot sue vaccine manufacturers directly because they are protected from liability for vaccine-related injuries by the VICP.
Can flu shots cause permanent damage?

In rare cases, the flu shot can cause serious side effects that may lead to permanent damage. For example, the flu vaccine has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, and other severe symptoms.

While the risk of GBS after the flu shot is very low (about one or two cases per million doses), it is a potential complication that can result in permanent nerve damage or other long-term effects.
How long after the flu shot does Guillain Barré develop?

If Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) occurs after a flu shot, it usually develops within a few weeks after vaccination, but it can also occur within a few days or up to several weeks later.

The onset of GBS after the flu shot is typically rapid, with symptoms often appearing within a few days of the start of weakness or numbness. If you have any concerns about potential GBS or other side effects after getting the flu shot, it is important to contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
How do you know if you have nerve damage from the flu shot?
If you are concerned about having nerve damage from a flu shot, you should seek medical attention immediately.

The symptoms of nerve damage can vary depending on the type and severity of the damage. Some possible signs of nerve damage include:
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Difficulty with coordination or balance
- Loss of sensation or reflexes
- Pain or hypersensitivity in the affected area
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after getting a flu shot, it is important to contact your healthcare provider right away. Your doctor may perform a physical exam and order tests to evaluate your symptoms and determine the cause.
Can a flu shot cause muscle damage?
Is the flu vaccine safe for the general public?

Yes, the flu vaccine is generally considered safe for the general public. Millions of people receive the flu vaccine yearly with no serious side effects. Most people experience only mild side effects, such as soreness or redness at the injection site, low-grade fever, or body aches, which typically resolve within a few days.

As with any medical intervention, there are risks associated with the flu vaccine, including the possibility of serious allergic reactions, although these are extremely rare. In addition, some people with certain medical conditions may be advised not to receive the vaccine or to receive it only under specific circumstances.

It's important to note that getting vaccinated against the flu is still the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over 6 months should receive the flu vaccine annually, with few exceptions. If you have concerns about whether the flu vaccine is right for you, it's important to talk to your healthcare provider.
How common are injuries related to the flu vaccine?

Injuries related to the flu vaccine are rare. The flu vaccine is generally considered safe, and most people experience only mild side effects, such as soreness or redness at the injection site, low-grade fever, or body aches. Serious side effects are uncommon, and severe allergic reactions are extremely rare.

In rare cases, the flu vaccine has been associated with developing Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a serious autoimmune disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. However, the risk of developing GBS after receiving the flu vaccine is very low, estimated to be about one or two cases per million doses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closely monitors the safety of flu vaccines and works with healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers to ensure that vaccines are as safe as possible. If you have any concerns about the safety of the flu vaccine, it's important to talk to your healthcare provider. They can provide you with more information about the benefits and risks of vaccination and help you decide to get vaccinated.
Is a flu shot intramuscular?
What are some common problems with the flu shot?
The flu shot, while a significant preventive measure against the influenza virus, can sometimes be associated with certain problems or side effects. These are generally mild and temporary, but it's important to be informed about them. Here are some common problems associated with the flu shot:

Localized Reactions
- Soreness, Redness, and Swelling: The site where the flu shot is administered can become sore, red, or swollen. These are typical reactions and usually subside within a few days.
Systemic Reactions
- Fever and Muscle Aches: Some individuals might experience a low-grade fever and muscle aches following vaccination.
- Fatigue and Headache: Fatigue and headaches are also reported occasionally post-vaccination.
Allergic Reactions
- Mild Allergic Reactions: Individuals with allergies to egg protein or other vaccine components might experience mild allergic reactions.
Rare but Serious Side Effects
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS): A rare neurological disorder, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, has been associated with the flu shot in some studies¹.
- Neurological and Autoimmune Disorders: A study found a potential link between the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine and certain neurological and autoimmune disorders over a span of 8-10 months².
Decreased Vaccine Effectiveness
- Consecutive-Year Vaccination: A study indicated that receiving a flu shot two consecutive years might result in lower vaccine effectiveness in the second year³.
It's vital for individuals to consult with healthcare professionals before receiving the flu shot, especially if they have known allergies or other medical conditions that might interact with the vaccine. Furthermore, ongoing research and reporting of any adverse reactions contribute to enhancing the safety profile of the flu vaccine and addressing any concerns associated with its administration.
Citations
- Ohmit, Suzanne E., et al. "Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in the Community and the Household." Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol. 58, no. 10, 2015, pp. 1364-1373, doi:10.1093/cid/civ053¹.
- Wimmers, Ferenc, et al. "Unraveling the long-term effect of influenza vaccines." Cell, vol. 184, no. 15, 2021, pp. 3845-3847, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.026².
- Arnheim-Dahlström, Lisen, et al. "Autoimmune, neurological, and venous thromboembolic adverse events after immunisation of adolescent girls with quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in Denmark and Sweden: cohort study." BMJ, vol. 347, 2013, doi:10.1136/bmj.f5906³.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Flu Vaccine Safety Information." CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/general.htm``oaicite:{"number":4,"metadata":{"type":"webpage","title":"Flu Vaccine Safety Information | CDC","url":"https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/general.htm#:~:text=Common%20side%20effects%20from%20the,Barr%C3%A9%20syndrome%20%28GBS","text":"Common side effects from the flu shot include: Soreness, redness, and/or swelling from the shot. Headache. Fever. Nausea. Muscle aches. The flu shot, like other injections, can occasionally cause fainting. Some studies have found a possible small association of injectable flu vaccine with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).","pub_date":null,"extra":{"cited_message_idx":11,"evidence_text":"source"}}}``.