Below is a link to an article detailing the injuries and experiences of a Minnesota woman who received a flu shot at the pharmacy of her local grocery store. Like most people, she was advised that she would have soreness in her shoulder for a couple of days after the shot. However, she began to experience debilitating pain the next day and weeks later was advised by her chiropractor that she should see a specialist. A subsequent MRI revealed that she had a full thickness tear of the rotator cuff in the shoulder in which she received the shot. After learning that she had received the flu shot in that arm weeks earlier, the doctor indicated that the rotator cuff tear was a SIRVA injury (Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration) and that she would need surgery to repair the tear.
As discussed in the article, the flu shot is an intramuscular injection that is typically administered in the deltoid muscle. However, injuries can occur when the vaccine is administered improperly such as too high up on the shoulder, or too deep into the shoulder muscle, or if the wrong gauge needle is used. This can cause injury or inflammatory reactions in the ligaments, tendons, nerves or bursa sac of the affected shoulder.
SIRVA injuries can be caused be any vaccine, but are most commonly caused by the flu vaccine, which is likely because of the high number of flu shots given. The number of SIRVA cases have increased significantly in the last several years and are making up a greater percentage of the overall cases filed in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).
If you or someone you know sustained an injury or started experiencing shoulder symptoms after receiving a flu shot or other vaccine, please contact our Vaccine Injury Attorneys as you may be entitled to compensation. Our firm is experienced in litigating vaccine injury claims on behalf of those suffering these types of shoulder injuries.
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