SIRVA and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program(VICP)

Every year millions of American children and adults receive vaccinations for a variety of illnesses. While vaccines are administered to prevent illness, in some cases, adverse reactions and side effects are experienced as a result of vaccination. One side effect that most people are familiar with is the pain in the shoulder associated with receiving a vaccination. However, in some cases the pain can be severe and can last much longer than normal. These cases of severe and long standing pain are known as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, or SIRVA.

The most recent (December 2016) Department of Justice presentation to the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, an Advisory board within the US department of Health and Human Services, revealed that nearly 20% of all the compensated cases for the 3rd quarter of 2016 in the Vaccine Court were to petitioners who had SIRVA. The VICP (The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program) was established in 1986 to help compensate vaccine recipients and their families in these such cases. The VICP is governed by the Vaccine Injury Table, which includes a list of vaccines, potential injuries, and the temporal relationship required from the time of vaccination to the first onset of symptoms. This Table is revised from time to time; one of the revisions recently made to the Vaccine Injury Table was to include the injury SIRVA for all vaccines administered through injection.

What is a Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)?
SIRVA manifests as shoulder pain and limited range of motion occurring after intramuscular administration in the upper arm. These symptoms are thought to occur because of unintended injection of vaccine antigen or trauma from the needle into and around the shoulder resulting in an inflammatory reaction. SIRVA is caused by an injury to the musculoskeletal structures of the shoulder (e.g. tendons, ligaments, etc). While SIRVA is not an official medical diagnosis it serves to cover a variety of injuries including impingement syndrome, tendonitis, and other conditions of the shoulder. A person with SIRVA would experience excruciating pain and limitation of activities within days and weeks following the vaccination. While SIRVA is a very rare injury it is not caused by the vaccination but rather the injection of the vaccine.

Do you qualify for compensation through VICP?
Since the formation of VICP more than $3.3 Trillion have been paid out in compensations to individuals injured following vaccination. If you or somebody you love has been injured following vaccination, Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC would be honored to help you determine if you qualify for compensation. Please contact us to discuss your vaccine injury and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program at no cost. All costs and fees are covered by VICP, therefore there is no financial risk in pursuing a Vaccine Injury Compensation Claim. You can contact our Vaccine Lawyers by calling 1-800-431-9776 or email us at mark@kh-law.net. At Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC, we listen, we care, we get results!

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Stephanie Thompson, Estate Planning Attorney of Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC

As the owner of Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC, it is Stephanie’s mission to address each client’s goals for their estate plan. By identifying their wishes and concerns she can educate, guide, and counsel on the different tools and options that will effectively and efficiently accomplish those goals.

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