My first thought was what vaccines were common to all of them. Perhaps the flu shot?
I caught an offshoot of this disease in 1984. Transverse myelitis hit me at age 19. I had no symptoms whatsoever, just started hurting in my lower back and it felt like fire spreading down my legs. Within 15 mins. I was paralyzed from about the chest down. The doctors at the time suspected a virus was the culprit. They had no treatment other than steroids and PT and since I couldn’t really move anything for months there wasn’t a lot of PT. After a few weeks the paralysis went down below my waist but I spent two years learning to walk again and still have lingering issues, such as muscle weakness and balance totally shot, I walk with two canes and have noticed arthritis is really kicking in the last couple of years.
I was eligible for social security disability having worked several quarters before getting sick and could have stayed on it all my life but I wanted more so I went back to college and got a degree, got married and had three kids and have worked every since graduating. But since I hit 50 I have noticed I this thing is really starting to kick my butt physically. If I can make it to 60 I will probably retire on disability at that point, kids out of college and house paid for. I feel for these kids getting this and hope they can isolate this virus and make a vaccine.