Va. teen suffers rare illness after swine flu shot

msnbc ^ | 11-12-09 | JoNel Aleccia

[444Flyer]

A 14-year-old Virginia boy is weak and struggling to walk after coming down with a reported case of Guillain-Barre syndrome within hours after receiving the H1N1 vaccine for swine flu.

Jordan McFarland, a high school athlete from Alexandria, Va., left Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Tuesday night in a wheelchair nearly a week after developing severe headaches, muscle spasms and weakness in his legs following a swine flu shot. He will likely need the assistance of a walker for four to six weeks, plus extensive physical therapy.

“The doctor said I’ll recover fully, but it’s going to take some time,” the teenager said.

Jordan is among the first people in the nation to report developing the potentially life-threatening muscle disorder after receiving the H1N1 vaccine this fall. His alarming reaction was submitted via msnbc.com's reader reporting tool, First Person, by his stepmother, Arlene Connin.

Increased cases of GBS were found in patients who received a 1976 swine flu vaccine, but government health officials say they've seen no rise in the condition associated with the current outbreak.

So far, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received five reports of GBS in people who received the H1N1 vaccine since Oct. 6, not including Jordan’s case, said Dr. Claudia J. Vellozzi, deputy director for immunization safety.

[444Flyer]

Ping

[Soothesayer9]

I’d rather go down in a hail of bullets than take that damnable shot.

/cueshotdownsong

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I’ve never had a seasonal flu shot and I’ve never had a seasonal flu.....

[Sarah Barracuda]

You couldn’t pay me to take that swine flu shot. No one in my family has taken it. I’ll take my chances with the swine flu. My three cousins have all gotten the swine flu and recovered. That poor kid, I hope he is gonna be Ok. Just another reason why NOT to get that shot

[GreaterSwiss]

I got the swine flu vaccine 11 days ago and had no issues. A month b4 that, I got the flu shot.

A lot of people I know have gotten sick the past week with some sort of flu but not me.

HOWEVER I THINK THE BIGGER SOT TO GET IS PNEUMONIA. That’s a 10 yr shot.

[chris37]

I had the flu once when I was 16. Not like a cold at all. Fever, muscle pain, could not get out of bed for three days, not for anything. I have never had it again, and I am now 38. It makes me wonder if the experience built some sort of natural immunity for me.

Regarding the shot...not a chance. I’ll die before they stick me with that.

[GreaterSwiss]

Yes, having the flu builds the immunity to that strain.. Over time u lose it...

You guys need to keep in mind the swine flu shot WILL BE IN THE regular flu shot next year. It should have been combined this year but I am sure $$$ got in the way (2 shots = twice the $$$)

[GreaterSwiss]

u should really consider getting the pneumonia shot..

[voteNRA]

H1N1 went through my house about a month ago. My 3 year old had the worst symptoms with a fever of 104. After he got on the Tamiflu, he was back to normal within about 18 hours.

This flu is nothing to just laugh about but with what I have heard about the shots, I think what we went through was bearable. Certainly no reason to be rioting in lines to get the vaccine or risking disease over IMHO.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping....(Thanks, 444Flyer!)

Also, keep up with other H1N1 update stories on this thread: H1N1 flu victim collapsed on way to hospital [Latest H1N1 updates downthread] thanks to DvdMom and others.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Exactly. Glad to hear your 3 year old is feeling better. The flu, ANY kind of flu, is dangerous for the very young and the very old(or people who have chronic health problems). I’ve been to the doctor and they have asked me if I wanted the shot and I said no. I’d rather take a risk with the flu then with the shot, which can have numerous side effects

[BookmanTheJanitor]

I got Guillain-Barre when I was in my early twentys. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It was a scary nightmare...especially for my parents. I hope the kid feels well soon.

[Feline_AIDS]

Maybe I missed something, but why are we fearing this shot?

[Myrddin]

I had 7 cases of pneumonia before getting the pneumonia vaccine. Zero since. It was effective.

[WKUHilltopper]

That crap shot has mercury in it. You’ve been warned not to eat fish in from a river because of it’s mercury content, but it’s ok to get it blasted in your body with a shot? Go figure...

I’ll pass.

[CottShop]

I’m not sure either- the FLU itself causes Guilliane Barre Syndrome- any lung infection causes guillian barre syndrom infact- you’re FAR m,roe likely to get Guillain-Barre if you DON’T take the hsot than if you do- Gettign the shot adds only one more case of GB per 100,000 people imunized with flu shot- however if all those 100,000 people hadn’t received the flu shot- more cases of GB would have been observed- there is evidence that the shot PROTECTS peopel from getting GB- But, because 1 more person per 100,000 people gets GB who get the shot, people automatically htink the ‘shot causes GB’ HOWEVER, even if you get the shot, you still can get the flu, which can cause GB- so the cause wasn’t actually from the shot, but from the flu- but peopel want to villify the shot apparently- ignorign hte fact that the shots actually protect people from GB by lessening the effects of the flu- which again, you can still get- but more mildly, after gettign the shot

[CottShop]

[[Maybe I missed something, but why are we fearing this shot?]]

“Jordan is among the first people in the nation to report developing the potentially life-threatening muscle disorder after receiving the H1N1 vaccine this fall. “

And how many tens of millions of people have been vaccinated already? And only 1 case of possible flu-shot related GB has been reported and people are panicking abotu the shot ‘causing GB’? My neighbor got GB two weeks ago FROM THE FLU- she had not been vaccinated with the swine flu shot- The flu developed into pneumonia, and then into GB whiel she was i nthe hospital being treated for the pneumonia- Had she had the swine flu shot, her reaction to the flu would have been much milder, and there’s a good chance she wouldn’t have got GB- but you can’t tell people htis- they want to blame the ‘govnent sponsored’ flu shot which was alledgedly ‘rushed through’ (even htough they’ve been givign the shot out since last April, and NO cases of GB were declared until ONE case just recently)

[sionnsar]

A 14-year-old Virginia boy is weak and struggling to walk after coming down with a reported case of Guillain-Barre syndrome within hours after receiving the H1N1 vaccine for swine flu.

Pure hype. G-B Syndrome has a number of identified triggers, and vaccinations of all sorts are among them. So is surgery. So is stomach flu.

My wife came down with GBS after back surgery; fortunately it was identified early enough that she had a 100% recovery. It is *very* treatable. (Though we are told once you've had it a re-occurrence is more likely.)

The biggest risk is not knowing about it -- untreated it will be fatal.

[srmorton]

Me either, and I am 59 years old. I also teach Clinical Microbiology which should make me a "germophobe". I am just the opposite, and, in fact, I have a pretty healthy immune system from being exposed to so many different organisms at the hospital and at work.

Although rare, Guillian-Barre syndrome can follow a viral infection, bacterial infection, surgery, or any type of immunization (not just H1N1). It is a serious condition, but full recovery is possible, given enough time, with the proper treatment.