FA16 Immunization Module’s Updates

9. Adverse reactions to vaccines

Since we are all about to get our flu vaccinations in a couple of days, I decided to list the possible adverse reactions. The most common side effects include soreness at the injection, headache, fever, nausea, and muscle aches. All of these side are typically short lived (i.e. a few days). A small association (i.e. occuring in 1 or 2 cases out of one million vaccinations) has been proposed between the flu vaccine and Guillain-Barre syndrome. In addition to these possible effects, severe allergic reactions are also possible, with symptoms observed within a timescale of minutes or a few hours. With the current injectable form of the vaccine, it is not possible to contract the flu from the vaccine due to the use of inactivated virus.

For those experiencing adverse reactions, there is a reporting system run by the CDC and FDA called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS provides useful safety information about many vaccines along with lists of common side effects and frequency.

References/Resources:

1. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/general.htm - flu vaccine safety info from CDC

2. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/monitoring/vaers/index.html - vaccine adverse event reporting system

  • Nereyda Ochoa
  • Eden Perez
  • Crystal Booker
  • Richard Tapping