Age: 78.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: FLU3
Symptoms: Joint stiffness, Oedema peripheral, Pain, Pain in extremity, Sleep disorder
Clinical narrative: Mid morning, 9 October 2006, I entered food market to make a few purchases. Just inside the front door was set up a table with personnel who were administering flu shots. After completing the necessary paper work and procedures, I requested the flu shot be given me in my left arm, for which I was refused, being the serum would "dispense faster if injected in right arm, since I am right handed. The injection was put into my right deltoid. I asked the person who did the injection to provide me with her name. She did (to the best of my recollection). I asked her last name and she did not wish to give it to me, stating, just RW. I felt very little at the time of the injection, so, made my purchases and returned home to finish packing my suitcase, since I was leaving the morning of 11 October 2006, to attend a 4-day event out of the country. During the early morning hours of 11 October, my right upper extremity began being very painful and my right hand began swelling. By the time i arrived at my destination, my hand was SO swollen and the whole extremity, from shoulder to finger tips, was so very painful, I could not use it, had to have assistance with personal care and ADL's. I tried to treat the condition my self by applying ice/hot packs/epsom salts soaks, took Benadryl and procured a sling to immobilize the extremity. Nothing I tried gave any relief and th extreme swelling did not diminish. Consequently, I decided to go to the local medical facility emergency room. Since I returned home, I have been seen by at least 7 doctors and physical therapists at clinic and microsurgery is scheduled to be done on my right hand on 27 March 2007. I continue to have constant pain in my right deltoid (approximately a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10) and I feel neuro involvement in right breast. I have next to no use of my right thumb and my hand goes numb during the night the right thumb and fingers are stiff and feel as though the digits are on fire. Of course, this awakens me and disrupts my sleep and rest. At this point, the restoration of normal function to my RUE seems bleak. Prior to the flu shot, I was a normal, active, happy human being. Other than having the microsurgery on the right hand, it appears I have no other options than to live with a partially dysfunctional RUE which occurred as a result of having had a flu shot.  02/28/2007 VAERS report received with medical records attached. No additional records needed. Discharge Summary of 10/16/2007 revealed an ER admission for c/o swelling of the right wrist, distal forearm, and dorsum of her right hand.  Pt. c/o that the swelling and pain began several days after her flu shot.    Temp was 100.5. She was admitted for 1 night for IV antibiotics.  Swelling and pain reduced and she was D/C to home on PO antibiotics. Discharge DX:  Cellulitis right wrist and right forearm, improved. F/U visit from PCP on 12/18 where pt. reports continued neuropathic pain  in the hand and wrist at times.  Arm remains sore with additional c/o weakness in that arm. Likely reaction to influenza vaccine.  1/4/10 Pain at injection site-have been seen and evaluated by many doctors for this at clinic, referred surgery of hand. Follow-up: Weakness in Rt thumb - pain rt deltoid at injection site. Several attempts made to report to Health Dept., but was given different numbers to call- eventually was instructed to notify CDC and local Examiners - which I did. Subsequently, I received correspondence from a board member with a Ph. # to contact. I didso, and received a voice mail. I left my call back Number. That was in Feb. 07 No return call as yet. 4/27/07. I am still seeing doctors at clinic for this.