Daily Health Advices

Archive for the ‘Autoimmune Disorder’ Category

What happened in 1976 with the GBS and the swine flu vaccine?

At first, scientists reported a suspicious connection between GBS and vaccinations in 1976, during a national vaccination campaign against swine flu virus. The investigation revealed that recipients of the vaccine were at an increased risk of GBS than those who were not vaccinated (approximately 1 additional case per 100,000 vaccinees). Because of this association and the fact that the swine flu disease was limited, the vaccination program was stopped.

Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate if other flu vaccines were associated with GBS. In most studies found no association, but two studies suggest that about 1 person out of 1 million vaccinated people may be at risk of GBS associated with vaccination against seasonal influenza. Read the rest of this entry »

What is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)?

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which the immune system itself to a person damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last a few weeks or several months. Most people recover fully from GBS, but some suffer permanent damage to the nervous system.

There are few cases where people have died due to GBS, fatalities usually associated with respiratory problems. In the U.S., for example, an average of about 3,000 to 6,000 people each year develop GBS, whether or not they received a vaccination. This means about 1 to 2 cases of GBS per 100,000 people. Read the rest of this entry »