CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/guillainbarre.htm[04/30/12 04:26:03 PM]

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)

Questions & Answers

What is Guillain-Barré

syndrome (GBS)?

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare

disorder in which a person’s own

immune system damages their nerve

cells, causing muscle weakness and

sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause

symptoms that last for a few weeks.

Most people recover fully from GBS, but

some people have permanent nerve

damage. In very rare cases, people have

died of GBS, usually from difficulty

breathing. In the United States, for

example, an estimated 3,000 to 6,000

people develop GBS each year on

average, whether or not they received a

vaccination.

What

causes

GBS?

Many things

can cause

GBS; about

two-thirds of

people who

develop GBS

symptoms do so several days or weeks

after they have been sick with diarrhea

or a respiratory illness. Infection with

the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni is

one of the most common risk factors for

GBS. People also can develop GBS after having the flu or other

infections (such as cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus). On

very rare occasions, they may develop GBS in the days or

weeks after getting a vaccination.

Who is at risk for developing GBS?

Anyone can develop GBS; however, it is more common among

older adults. The incidence of GBS increases with age, and

people older than 50 years are at greatest risk for developing

GBS.

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Questions & Answers

What is

Guillain-Barré

syndrome

(GBS)?

What causes

GBS?

Who is at risk

for developing

GBS?

How common

is GBS, and

how common

is it among

people who

have been

vaccinated

against

seasonal

influenza?

What

happened in

1976 with GBS

and the swine

flu vaccine?

How do public

health

authorities

investigate

cases of GBS?

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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/guillainbarre.htm[04/30/12 04:26:03 PM]

How common is GBS, and how common is it

among people who have been vaccinated

against seasonal influenza?

GBS is rare. Medical events occur regardless of vaccination, and

background rates are used to assess vaccine safety by

comparing the expected rate of disease or death to the actual

or observed rate in any given timeframe. The background rate

for GBS in the U.S. is about 80 to 160 cases of GBS each week,

regardless of vaccination.

What happened in 1976 with GBS and the swine

flu vaccine?

In 1976 there was a small increased risk of GBS following

vaccination with an influenza vaccine made to protect against a

swine flu virus. The increased risk was approximately 1

additional case of GBS per 100,000 people who got the swine

flu vaccine. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducted a

thorough scientific review of this issue in 2003 and concluded

that people who received the 1976 swine influenza vaccine had

an increased risk for developing GBS. Scientists have multiple

theories on why this increased risk may have occurred, but the

exact reason for this association remains unknown.

It is important to keep in mind that severe illness and death

are associated with influenza, and vaccination is the best way

to prevent influenza infection and its complications.

How do public health authorities investigate

cases of GBS?

Ensuring the safety of vaccines is a high priority for CDC.

Several systems are in place to monitor vaccine safety. One of

these systems is the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

(VAERS) .

CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comanage VAERS, which serves as an early warning system to

collect voluntary reports about possible side effects that people

experience following vaccinations. CDC and FDA scientists

regularly review all VAERS reports and store the information in

a computerized database that is monitored to detect new,

unusual, or rare health events that could be possible side

effects of vaccines.

In addition to the normal vaccine safety monitoring systems,

CDC has proactively put additional monitoring systems in place

to ensure safety after licensing. Some of these systems

include: actively observing persons in defined geographic

areas, collaborating with professional organizations for reports

of any adverse events after vaccination, and conducting

thorough investigations when severe adverse events occur to

determine whether they may have been associated with the

vaccine. Through these numerous approaches, we are able to

detect any possible risk of GBS that might be associated with

the 2011-2012 flu vaccines as early as possible and take

appropriate action.

Page last reviewed: August 17, 2011

Page last updated: August 17, 2011

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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/guillainbarre.htm[04/30/12 04:26:03 PM]

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA

800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348, New Hours of Operation 8am-8pm

ET/Monday-Friday

Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

(NCIRD)