Vaccination Injury in Alaska
Have you heard of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)?
This service from the CDC is where Alaskans can submit reports of vaccine injuries. Once confirmed, they can set you up with compensation from the federal government.
However, this system is not your only option. We can give you a quick overview of your options to prevent you from missing out on what you deserve. Furthermore, we can set you up with a highly-qualified attorney in your area.
What Is a Vaccination Injury?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports vaccines contain a weakened or dead version of a disease. After injection, the body develops antibodies to specific illnesses. Effectively, this makes the recipient immune from the disease.
Most people who receive vaccines have a successful immunity boost for many illnesses. While vaccines may contain the disease, some recipients develop health problems. An experienced Alaska vaccination injury lawyer can help determine if you have a claim.
It can be onerous to determine how many individuals suffer harm from vaccines annually in Alaska. Furthermore, linking a vaccine injury to ongoing medical issues can be challenging. Nonetheless, the federal government offers a Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to citizens.
What Are Some Common Types of Vaccination Injuries in Alaska?
It is perfectly normal to experience some minor soreness around the vaccine injection site. However, vaccines should not cause significant harm. If you or a loved one has experienced pain, loss of body functions or even death, you may want to speak with Alaska vaccination injury lawyers.
Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
In most circumstances, CRPS does not have a single cause. But, it tends to happen when there is an injury to peripheral sensory neurons. While the experiences vary between patients in Alaska, a few of the symptoms include:
- Painful swelling at the injection site
- Swelling or stiffness in the joints
- Sensitivity to the cold or touch
- Throbbing pain or a burning sensation
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis patients in Alaska suffer due to their immune system attacking their nerves. The damage the disease does can have a significant range of severity. Some individuals may live symptom-free lives, while others have chronic issues. Generally, the cause is unknown, but there have been studies that link vaccines to producing MS.
Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries may occur due to how any Alaska health professional administers the vaccine. Alternatively, the contents of the vaccine can cause harm.
Symptoms may range from ongoing pain at the injection site to a complete loss of muscle movement in the arm. While often temporary, vaccination-related shoulder injuries may be permanent.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Research has linked Guillain-Barre syndrome to different types of vaccines, one of which is the annual flu shot. The condition happens when the immune system attacks itself, causing damage to nerve cells.
While the symptoms vary, they often include paralysis and muscular weakness. These issues typically resolve within a few weeks. But, Guillain-Barre syndrome may cause permanent nerve damage. This injury may result in loss of motion, paralysis, and other ongoing complications.
Anaphylaxis
Alaska healthcare professionals should check for known patient allergies. If a vaccine recipient happens to be allergic to the ingredients in the vaccine, the injection may cause a reaction. Symptoms may include hives, fevers, fainting, shortness of breath, and anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is potentially life-threatening. Regrettably, an individual may not realize they have an allergy until after receiving the vaccination.
Encephalitis
Encephalitis sometimes happens when there is an infection in the body. It can also be part of the body’s response to an infection. This condition results in swelling of brain tissue.
Some common symptoms of encephalitis are pain, fever, headaches, fatigue, and weakness. While these problems may resolve in a few weeks, doctors must track this potentially life-threatening condition.
Myelitis
While encephalitis is swelling of the brain, myelitis involves spinal cord inflammation. Nonetheless, doctors and scientists do not completely understand the causes of myelitis.
Still, some patients have developed spinal cord inflammation after vaccine injection. Swelling around the spinal cord may cause a variety of complications. Symptoms may include paralysis, pain and loss of muscular control.
What Are Some of the Vaccines, Conditions, and Injuries Covered by Law?
Claims from Alaska need to match the coverage listed under the current Vaccination Injury Table. This list from the HRSA is extensive and includes some of the circumstances not covered by the law. For example, the shingles vaccine does not have coverage through the federal government.
Meningococcal Vaccine
Meningococcal diseases spread when individuals share secretions from the respiratory system or throat. When the bacteria infect someone from Alaska, the symptoms may include a headache, stiff neck, and fever. The conditions and timelines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program are:
- Shoulder injuries within 48 hours
- Vasovagal syncope in less than an hour
- Anaphylaxis four hours after receiving the vaccine
Polio Vaccine
Polio is highly contagious, and the introduction of its vaccine prevented untold amounts of suffering. Once contracted, it can paralyze and eventually cause morbidity in children. However, injuries may happen as with other vaccinations. The circumstances the HRSA informs Alaskans they can submit claims for include:
- Vasovagal syncope
- Anaphylaxis
- Shoulder injuries
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B
The cause of this condition is a variant of the bacteria H. influenzae. Surprisingly, it tends to be in a person’s nose or throat without doing any harm. When it infects a patient in Alaska, they can suffer symptoms that range from fever to muscle pain. Its vaccination injuries included in federal legislation are shoulder injuries or vasovagal syncope.
What Is the Legal Process for a Vaccination Injury?
Even if the symptoms you experienced after your vaccine are not in the above list, you may still have a vaccination injury.
If you have sustained an injury from a vaccination in Alaska, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should also seek a legal opinion as quickly as possible. A vaccine-related injury can result in extreme consequences that interfere with your life. Accordingly, you may be able to pursue financial compensation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Hiring an experienced Alaska legal professional can help determine if you qualify for compensation.
A lawyer can also explain your other legal options. For example, you could file a lawsuit against the vaccine manufacturer. In other cases, you may sue the healthcare professional who administered the vaccine.
The claims process is very complex. If you do not properly assert your claim, you may receive a denial and jeopardize your odds of receiving compensation. The judiciary that will make this determination and adjudicate your case is the U.S. District Court of the District of Alaska.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Alaska
The purpose of a vaccine is to improve your quality of life by keeping you healthy. Unfortunately, if you suffer an injury after a vaccination, your life may never be the same again.
While you may be able to receive financial compensation for your vaccine injury, the process is not easy. Therefore, hiring an experienced Alaska vaccine injury attorney is essential. It will greatly impact the quality of assistance and settlement you may receive.
If you are looking to hire a vaccination injury lawyer, we are here for you. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Alaska state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
