While vaccine injuries are rare, they can be serious. Here’s what you need to know about the most common vaccine-related injuries.
Allergic Reactions
An allergic reaction after a vaccine can be mild or severe. You might experience mild symptoms like itching or soreness at the injection site, or you may develop a severe complication like anaphylaxis.
- Anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock. This serious condition causes itching, swelling and difficulty breathing.
Autoimmune Disorders
An Autoimmune disorder means that your body is attacking its healthy cells instead of the unhealthy ones. This leads to inflammation and swelling and is known to cause certain medical conditions, including the ones below.
- Brachial Neuritis. With brachial neuritis, nerve damage to the brachial plexus causes weakness, loss of feeling or pain, often on only one side of the body.
- Encephalitis. This inflammation of the brain can cause general confusion, seizures, muscle weakness and other symptoms.
- Encephalopathy. This includes a number of conditions that affect the brain and can cause symptoms ranging from mild memory loss to dementia and seizures.
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Symptoms of GBS often start with pins-and-needles sensations and can progress to rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing.
- Thrombocytopenic Purpura. With this condition, blood platelets drop well below normal levels leading to excessive bleeding and bruising.
- Transverse Myelitis. This rare condition causes the spinal cord to become inflamed, resulting in weakness or numbness in the limbs.
Blood Conditions
Blood conditions caused by vaccines can affect many body systems and result in a variety of medical concerns. The injury depends on the blood component that’s affected, such as platelets, or white blood cells or red blood cells. One condition includes:
- Thrombocytopenic Purpura. With this condition, blood platelets drop well below normal levels leading to excessive bleeding and bruising.
Bowel Problems
Bowel problems from vaccines can range from mild to serious. Inflammation, or swelling, can cause problems with bowel movements, or structural problems can occur. One example includes:
- Intussusception. This painful condition happens when part of the intestine slides inside another section like a telescope.
Brain Conditions
Brain conditions or other neurologic problems caused by vaccines can cause a wide range of symptoms and medical complications. Some of these include:
- Encephalitis. This inflammation of the brain can cause general confusion, seizures, muscle weakness and other symptoms.
- Encephalopathy. This includes a number of conditions that affect the brain and can cause symptoms ranging from mild memory loss to dementia and seizures.
- Vasovagal Syncope. With this condition, a sudden drop in blood pressure causes fainting.
Nerve Damage and Pain
Nerve damage and pain after vaccines are common side effects. This is often due to the immune system attacking healthy nerves, which in turn causes inflammation and damage. Some conditions related to nerve damage include:
- Brachial Neuritis. With brachial neuritis, nerve damage to the brachial plexus causes weakness, loss of feeling or pain, often on only one side of the body.
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Symptoms of GBS often start with pins-and-needles sensations and can progress to rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing.
- Transverse Myelitis. This rare condition causes the spinal cord to become inflamed, resulting in weakness or numbness in the limbs.
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries are common vaccine injuries. Some are caused by the injection itself, while others result from medical conditions. Examples include:
- Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA). This injury is caused by injection and can lead to pain and stiffness in the shoulder.
- Brachial Neuritis. With brachial neuritis, nerve damage to the brachial plexus causes weakness, loss of feeling or pain, often on only one side of the body.
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Symptoms of GBS often start with pins-and-needles sensations and can progress to rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing. While not a shoulder injury per se, it can affect the shoulder.