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Flu vaccine associated with rare disorder

Respiratory Care Weekly, November 15, 2006

Influenza vaccine is associated with increased hospitalizations for the rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome, which affects about one in 100,000 individuals per year, according to the November 14 Archives of Internal Medicine. In an 11-year span in Ontario, Canada 1,601 people were admitted to hospitals with the condition; 269 of them had received a flu shot in the previous 43 weeks.

Guillain-Barré syndrome occurs when the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system, causing weakness or tingling that can eventually worsen to paralysis. Previous reports have linked influenza vaccine to the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome, but uncertainty remains about the association, reported the Archives.

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