Vaccine immunization is “the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease” by stimulating “the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease.”1
People have been inoculating against diseases for over a thousand years which led to the invention of the vaccine in 1796 when Edward Jenner used “material from cowpox pustules to provide protection against smallpox.”3 Today, vaccines provide protection against diseases that would kill “between 2 and 3 million” people each year worldwide, including children.1
Despite Immunization Benefits, Some Opt Out of Vaccinations
Although the benefits of vaccines are widely known, a small percentage of parents are opting out of vaccinating their children every year, mostly due to their fears that vaccines are unsafe. One study found that “parents who delayed and refused vaccines were significantly less likely to believe that vaccines are necessary to protect the health of children, that their child might get a disease if they aren’t vaccinated, and that vaccines are safe.”2
What about the Side Effects of Vaccines?
When someone receives a vaccine, he or she can experience the following side effects:
- Injection site reactions
- Mild fever
- Shivering
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
These short-term symptoms occur due to the inoculation process. When you get a vaccine, “it sparks your immune system response, helping your body fight off and remember the germ so it can attack it if the germ ever invades again.”4
For a small group of people, a vaccine will trigger a severe immune response and seriously injure someone. Some of these adverse reactions include:
- Paralysis
- Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
- Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)
- Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Transverse Myelitis (TM)
- Kidney Failure / Death
If You Have Been Seriously Injured by a Vaccine, We Can Help
In 1988, the United States government established the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for those who have had severe reactions from vaccines, as long as you petition within the statute of limitations.
If a vaccine has seriously injured you or someone you love, our attorneys at Shannon Law Group can help you file a petition with the VICP to get the compensation you deserve. Please fill out our contact form here. Call us at (312) 578-9501 or toll-free at (886) 881-9501. We will provide a free no-obligation consultation.
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