Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine provides vital protection from dangerous, life-threatening strains of influenza. However, for a small number of people, getting a flu shot can result in serious, and often debilitating side effects.

Compensation for Flu Vaccine Injuries

The nationwide law firm of Bernstein Liebhard LLP is offering legal help to individuals who suffered serious injuries and complications that may be associated with the flu vaccine, including:

To learn more about filing a flu vaccine lawsuit, please call (888) 994-5118 to arrange for a free, no-obligation review of your claim.

Seasonal Influenza

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus that affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs.

Symptoms of the flu range from mild to severe and may include:

  • Fever or feeling feverish/chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Vomiting & diarrhea (more common in children)

Influenza can also cause the following complications

  • Bacterial pneumonia
  • Ear infections
  • Sinus infections
  • Worsening of chronic medical conditions
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes

Very severe influenza can prove deadly. Those most at risk from the flu include:

  • Those 65 and older
  • Those with certain chronic medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, heart disease)
  • Pregnant women
  • Children

Preventing the Flu

The flu is spread via tiny droplets made when people with influenza cough, sneeze, or talk. The best way to prevent influenza is by getting a flu vaccine.

The flu vaccine changes every year, depending on the strains of influenza that are making people sick.

For example, for the 2017-2018 flu season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control approved the following trivalent (3-ingredient) vaccines:

  • Standard-dose trivalent shots (3-ingredient) that are manufactured using virus grown in eggs.
  • A high-dose trivalent shot, approved for people 65 and older.
  • An egg-free recombinant trivalent shot, approved fore people 18 and older, including pregnant women.
  • A trivalent flu shot made with an adjuvant (an ingredient that creates a stronger immune response), approved for people 65 years of age and older.

The CDC also approved several quadrivalent (4-ingredient) flu vaccines:

  • Quadrivalent flu shots approved for use in different age groups, including children as young as 6 months.
  • An intradermal quadrivalent flu shot, approved for people 18 through 64 years of age.
  • A quadrivalent flu shot containing virus grown in cell culture, which is approved for people 4 years of age and older.
  • A recombinant quadrivalent flu shot approved for people 18 years of age and older, including pregnant women.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older – with some rare exceptions — get a flu vaccine every season.

Compensation for Flu Vaccine Injuries

Individuals who are hurt by the flu vaccine may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and more.

Several flu vaccine injuries are covered under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), which was established by the federal government in the 1980s to help people who were injured by vaccine side effects, while protecting vaccine-manufacturers from lawsuits that might discourage development of new vaccines.

The NVICP’s  Vaccine Injury Table  lists injuries and/or conditions associated with the flu vaccine and other covered vaccines. It is presumed that a covered vaccine caused an injury if:

  • The first symptom of the condition occurred within the time period specified by the table.
  • The injury meets the definition included in the Table.

This applies even if a covered vaccine is administered “off-label” or contrary to recommendations established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control or the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice.

If an injury does not appear in the Vaccine Injury Table or does not meet the Table requirements, claimants must present expert witness testimony, medical records, medical opinions, or other evidence proving that the vaccine caused the injury and/or condition.

Contact a Flu Vaccine Injury Lawyer Today

Our attorneys can help if your or someone you love suffered serious injuries following administration of the flu vaccine. To learn more, please contact our office by calling (888) 994-5118.

  1. CDC (N.D.) “Key Facts about Influenza” https://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
  2. CDC (2017) “Vaccination: Who Should Do It, Who Should Not and Who Should Take Precaution” https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm#flu-shot
  3. HRSA (2018) “National Vaccine Compensation Program” https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html
  4. HRSA (2017) “Covered Vaccines” https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/covered-vaccines/index.html
Last Modified: July 11, 2018

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