When you get a vaccine, your shoulder can sometimes ache the rest of the day. If this ache does not go away or gets worse, you may have SIRVA. SIRVA stands for shoulder injury related to vaccine administration. By understanding shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, you can decide whether a vaccine injury lawyer is right for you.
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SIRVA is an uncommon complication arising from improper vaccine administration. Medical providers should be well-trained in vaccine injection. They are trained to inject vaccines into the deltoid muscle of the arm, which goes over your shoulder and assists in moving your arm. SIRVA occurs when a medical provider makes an error during injection.
Proper vaccine administration requires exact injection. However, a medical provider may accidentally inject in the wrong area of the arm. They may also go too deep into the muscle, causing long-lasting damage. Strict medical training makes this a rare occurrence, but influenza vaccine studies have found that about 2% of vaccinations studied in seven years resulted in injury.
SIRVA is not due to the patient’s behavior. It is not like a sprained ankle or wrist. SIRVA is the direct result of medical malpractice. Filing a vaccine injury claim allows patients to receive financial compensation for their injuries. This compensation can help them pursue treatment.
The symptoms of SIRVA often begin to appear within 48 hours of injection. SIRVA can cause severe pain in the arm and reduced motion. These symptoms do not go away on their own. A formal diagnosis requires the pain to last over 7 days.
When diagnosing SIRVA, a doctor will take a detailed medical history of the patient, focusing on their recent vaccination. This allows them to rule out pre-existing conditions. From there, they may use ultrasounds or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to get a closer look at the arm.
SIRVA itself is not actually the main diagnosis. Rather, it is a blanket term covering the specific shoulder injuries caused by vaccination. Some individuals with SIRVA may have bursitis, where a sac of fluid near the muscles called a bursa becomes inflamed. Others may have a frozen shoulder, making it hard to move the arm. A doctor can determine the exact injuries associated with SIRVA.
Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration is one of multiple conditions covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP is a major addition to vaccine injury law created in the 1980s. The program allows anyone to file a petition for compensation after a vaccine injury. SIRVA is covered under the VICP for most vaccines, including the following:
To file a vaccine injury claim, the petitioner must file the petition within three years of the onset of symptoms, as per 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-16(a)(2). If the petitioner is filing for a dead relative, the claim must be filed within two years of death and four years after the onset of lethal symptoms.
A vaccine injury lawyer can help those seeking a claim understand VICP and its requirements. They can assist in collecting evidence, filing petitions, and representing their clients in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Should a vaccine injury claim require a hearing, an experienced attorney can speak for their clients to a Special Master, a judge specializing in vaccine injury law.
Although vaccines are widely recommended by medical professionals and are considered safe for most, it’s natural for some people to worry about side effects. In fact, the CDC reported that flu vaccinations have been decreasing over the last few years, and one of the most common reasons parents refuse to vaccinate their child against the flu is concern about safety and side effects.
While serious complications don’t commonly occur, SIRVA can still happen. The Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association was founded in 2010 to assist vaccine injury attorneys and their petitioners. Our in-depth insight into the workings of the VICP can help attorneys stay informed and petitioners understand the nuances of vaccine injury law.
SIRVA, or shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, involves long-lasting shoulder pain following a vaccination. It is an uncommon condition caused by improper injection by a medical professional. This pain can last for months and require physical therapy or surgery to correct. It is one of multiple conditions that can be compensated via the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Often, you cannot treat SIRVA yourself. The pain and limited motion caused by a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration do not go away on their own. Doctors may perform physical exams, ultrasounds, or MRIs to confirm a SIRVA diagnosis. Afterward, they may prescribe steroid shots, anti-inflammatories, or a physical therapy regimen to treat SIRVA. Surgery may be necessary in rare but severe cases.
Symptoms of SIRVA typically present themselves within 48 hours of receiving a vaccine. These symptoms include intense pain in the shoulder beyond normal post-injection aches and a limited range of motion. When shoulder pain presents after the 48-hour time frame, it is most likely a separate shoulder condition. A doctor can determine whether your pain is connected to SIRVA or not.
Shoulder injuries that are related to vaccination include shoulder inflammation, nerve irritation, infection, or a rotator cuff injury. When you receive an intramuscular deltoid vaccine injection, a medical provider injects the vaccine directly into your muscles. These specific conditions can all fall under SIRVA if they are caused by an error during vaccine injection.
The Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association is a skilled and experienced association of vaccine injury lawyers who help people across the country pursue recovery through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. We support both the general public and fellow attorneys through the VICP and its unique features. Contact us today to hire a vaccine injury lawyer and see how we can help you navigate the VICP.
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