Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a disorder that causes a patient’s immune system to go haywire and attack its own peripheral nervous system.
Symptoms range from a feeling of pins and needles to complete paralysis and can begin anywhere from a few days to several weeks after vaccination. However, symptoms usually peak around one to two weeks after the vaccine is given.
VACCINES THAT COMMONLY TRIGGER GUILLAIN BARRÉ SYNDROME
Influenza Vaccine or Flu Vaccine
Hepatitis A or Hepatitis B
Tetanus, Tdap, or DtaP
Meningococcal (MCV4) Vaccine
HPV Vaccine
Varicella or Chickenpox
The Journal of the American Medical Association cites Guillain Barré as the most frequent neurological condition reported after getting the flu vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says Guillain Barré has been reported after the HPV vaccination.
Other studies show that 72% of patients who reported GBS symptoms after an HPV vaccine experienced those symptoms within 6 weeks after their vaccination.
A hearing on whether the vaccine caused the injury often occurs within a year. Cases that settle can conclude in as little as a year or two. Other cases, despite our best efforts, can take several years.