Recent Study Reveals Development of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is Unrelated To Vaccinations

August 2, 2013- Science News has reported that a large retrospective study did not find evidence of an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute nerve-damaging condition, following vaccinations of any kind, including influenza vaccination.

In a report published in the July 15 Clinical Infectious Diseases titled "Lack of Association of Guillain-Barré Syndrome With Vaccinations," researchers led by Roger Baxter of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) in Oakland reviewed more than 3 million patients' records from 1994 to 2006.

More than seven million flu vaccinations were dispensed to the KPNC members during the 15-year study. Baxter's team identified 415 diagnoses of GBS. Science News writes, "Analyses showed that people were no more likely to develop GBS during those six weeks than they were 1.5 to 9 months following a vaccination."

In the Background section of their Abstract, the authors point out, "Although cases of GBS have been reported following a wide range of vaccines, a clear association has only been established with the 1976 H1N1 inactivated influenza vaccine."

Read the full post here.

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