Vaccination Injury in San Francisco, CA
The San Francisco Department of Public Health asserts the vaccine supply has never been safer. Regardless, there are rare instances where they can harm local patients. If you have suffered after immunization, you may feel confused about how to proceed. After all, the facts suggest you may have a difficult time proving causation. Accomplishing this feat can require a local vaccination injury attorney with extensive experience. Discover even more reasons why this may be necessary through the details in this guide.
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. A qualified San Francisco, California 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 San Francisco. 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?
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 should talk to an experienced San Francisco vaccination injury lawyer.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
CIDP is a disorder that can last anywhere from eight weeks to several years. The damage it does to a patient in San Francisco can be significant. For example, you can experience progressive weakness in the arms and legs that may lead to paralysis.
Febrile Seizure
UCSF asserts that roughly 2% of children will experience a febrile seizure. The symptoms that parents in San Francisco will want to monitor are:
- Confusion and drowsiness
- Eyes rolling up with a limp body
- A sudden loss and return to consciousness
- Jerky movements in the extremities while the body stiffens
Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries may occur due to how San Francisco, CA health professionals administer 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
San Francisco 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?
An attorney may need to assess your case before you have a definitive answer to this question. Nonetheless, the Vaccine Injury Table is an excellent place to start. For illustration, this section will focus on the injuries covered after varicella vaccinations.
Anaphylaxis from a Varicella Vaccination
The CDC recommends talking to your doctor in San Francisco if you have a history of allergic reactions. Latex, gelatin, or egg allergies can be relevant to any vaccination. Furthermore, an anaphylaxis reaction to the varicella vaccine can be deadly.
Vasovagal Syncope (Fainting) from a Varicella Vaccination
The CDC reports it has collected reports of fainting from most vaccine administrations. Based on their findings, adolescents have a higher likelihood of experiencing vasovagal syncope. Accordingly, the Vaccine Injury Table indicates coverage exists for fainting incidents within an hour of administration.
Disseminated Infection from a Varicella Vaccination
Having an undiagnosed immunodeficiency is dangerous during the administration of any vaccine. However, this circumstance has particularly rough consequences for varicella vaccines. The disseminated infection that occurs can result in painful rashes throughout the body. Assuming a lab can connect these symptoms to 7 – 42 days after vaccination, that would qualify with the current Vaccine Injury Table.
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 San Francisco, California, 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 a qualified San Francisco 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.
Adjudication of these cases tends to fall on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Regardless, there are occasions when an attorney will make the case in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In San Francisco, California
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 San Francisco, CA 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 California 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!
