Does the Flu Shot Cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome?

It is very common to enter a hospital or skilled nursing facility during flu season and see employees with surgical masks on. Most facilities require employees to wear these masks during flu season if they did not receive the flu vaccination. When asked why they chose not to receive the vaccination, a large number of people will reply that they did not want to risk getting Guillain-Barre Syndrome. If so many people are willing to wear a mask everyday at work, could this theory actually be true?

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare disease that causes a person’s immune system to attack their own nerves causing weakness and eventually paralysis throughout their entire body including some automatic functions such as breathing. This weakness usually starts in the hands and feet and works its way up. GBS effects people in all age groups but is most common in older adults. GBS can cause severe disability and even death but more often than not, partial or full recovery is possible. The recovery stage of this disease is a very long process, often taking over a year to fully regain all strength and coordination. Below is a video of one survivor’s story of recovery.

Association between the flu shot and Guillain-Barre Syndrome

The common belief that there is a link between the flu shot and GBS dates back to the year 1976 when there was an increased rate of GBS in people who had received the swine flu vaccination. Since then, there have been many clinical studies completed to determine if there is a link between the seasonal flu vaccination and GBS. The overall results determine that there is no elevation in the number of GBS cases following the seasonal flu vaccination or the swine flu vaccination.

What is the real cause of GBS?

If the flu shot isn’t to blame, what is? According to research, 40-70% of all cases of GBS began shortly after a brief infectious illness such as an upper respiratory infection or gastrointestinal infection. One common bacteria that causes these infections is Campylobacter jejuni which has a strong link to many cases of GBS. Out of 2,502 cases analyzed, 32% included a recent infection of Campylobacter. One example of how someone may develop a Campylobacter infection is from eating raw or undercooked food. In some cases, a person may even develop GBS after having the flu itself rather than the vaccination. When putting it into perspective, the flu vaccination is a much smaller amount of bacteria being put into your system than the flu itself so it makes sense that getting the flu itself has a higher rate of GBS cases preceding. It is hard to determine if Campylobacter has a link to all cases of GBS due to the fact that infected people often let the bacteria run its course and are not tested for which type of bacteria is in their system. By the time the symptoms of GBS begin, the bacteria is completely out of the persons body.

References:

Burwen, Dale R., et al. “Surveillance for Guillain–Barré Syndrome After Influenza Vaccination Among the Medicare Population, 2009–2010.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 102, no. 10, 2012, pp. 1921–1927., doi:10.2105/ajph.2011.300510.

Dash, Sambit, et al. “Pathophysiology and Diagnosis of Guillain–Barré Syndrome – Challenges and Needs.” International Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 125, no. 4, 2014, pp. 235–240., doi:10.3109/00207454.2014.913588.

Poropatich, Kate O, et al. “Quantifying the Association between Campylobacter Infection and Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, vol. 28, no. 6, 2010, doi:10.3329/jhpn.v28i6.6602.

“YouTube.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 May 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=huN8iIWXNCs.

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