Guillain-Barre syndrome and Vaccination

 Posted on April 28, 2025 in Vaccine Information

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a neurologic syndrome in which a person’s immune system attacks the nerves. Symptoms can include weakness, numbness and an ascending paralysis. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a serious condition and medical intervention in vital. 

While the trigger for GBS is not entirely known, there has been an association with vaccination, particularly the seasonal flu vaccination. 

In the 1970’s, the US government mounted a mass vaccination campaign designed to vaccinate adults against specific influenza strains. The campaign was suspended when an increased number of GBS cases was observed and after a surveillance period, it was discovered that there was an increased risk of developing GBS in the weeks following receipt of the flu vaccination. This evidence of association was only possible because of the large numbers of persons that were vaccinated in a short time period, which made the pattern easier to discern. 

With this association established, GBS is listed on the Vaccine Injury Table, meaning that if a person established that they developed GBS within a specified period of time following a flu shot, they should be entitled to compensation. 

While GBS is a Table injury for the seasonal flu vaccination, cases involving other vaccines have been brought in the VICP alleging that the vaccination triggered GBS. Among the vaccinations that have been alleged to trigger GBS, (other than seasonal flu vaccinations) are Prevnar (pneumonia), Hepatitis B, HPV and Tdap. When cases involve GBS stemming from vaccines other than a seasonal flu shot, the attorneys at Kraus Law Group, LLC, work with medical experts in neurology and immunology to build a case relating the vaccination to our client’s subsequent course of GBS. Such cases often require significant development and may involve having a hearing before a Special Master (program judge). 

As attorneys practicing solely in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), we work to advocate for our clients that have suffered from GBS following vaccination, regardless of whether the vaccine that triggered GBS was a seasonal flu vaccination, or one of the other covered vaccines. 

You can learn more about GBS following vaccination here.