Reports of the nervous system disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) were “more common than expected” in the older adult population who received the new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The data, reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), matched trial data reported earlier this year.1
GBS is a “polio-like” inflammatory autoimmune disorder in which a person’s immune system damages nerve cells, which can result in muscle weakness and paralysis of the face, respiratory system and limbs, including full body paralysis and can lead to death. GBS usually develops after an infection and symptoms include numbness and tingling, throbbing pain, heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. Most people recover but, in some cases, the nerve damage is permanent.2
Current recommendations state that patients over the age of 60 should talk to their doctor to decide whether they should get the new RSV vaccine. Government officials still say that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks and that they do not plan to change their recommendations.1
The most recent CDC report highlighted 28 cases of RSV vaccine-related GBS and all but one developed symptoms of GBS within 21 days after being vaccinated. Data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) revealed that there were 1.5 cases per one million in people who received GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Arexvy RSV vaccine, and five cases per one million in people who received Pfizer’s Abrysvo RSV vaccine.
There were 18 reported deaths after RSV vaccinations that were attributed to “a variety of reasons,” two of which were associated with GBS. Other reported causes of death included severe respiratory illness and failure, cardiovascular events, hepatic encephalopathy, RSV infection, and sepsis, among others.3
Hellbound and Down 