H1N1 Strikes Jacksonville Man
Jacksonville has had its first serious drug side effect of paralysis to report, apparently a result of receiving the swine flu vaccine.
Shortly after receiving the H1N1or swine flu shot, a Jacksonville firefighter has become paralyzed with the condition called Guillain- Barre syndrome or GBS. He is in Baptist Hospital and appears to be recovering.
GBS affects the nervous system causing paralysis and it has rarely been seen in the 2009 version of the swine flu vaccine; however, in 1976, during the last round of swine flu, the vaccine created at that time was known to cause GBS as a side effect.
With millions of vaccines given across the U.S., the head of the Duval County Health Department says there are about 10 cases of GBS across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 3,000 to 6,000 cases of GBS are contracted in the U.S. every year with the flu vaccine, adding another one for every one million. Most people are expected to eventually recover.
Interestingly, GBS is also a side effect of the Gardasil vaccine given to young girls to prevent cervical cancer. The CDC reports there have been 10,000 deaths from the swine flu virus including 13 in Duval County.
Be sure to read the fine print. Any side effects will not be covered by Workers’ comp and the federal government has immunity for liability as well if you are injured.
For some people, that in itself is enough to take their chances with the swine flu. For others, many of whom have experienced the flu, the risk is worth avoiding contracting the virus. Just be sure to read the fine print, do your homework, and know both sides of the story before you make your decision.
Source report: http://www.news4jax.com/health/22048398/detail.html; http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/gbs.htm
