Reply To: Hospital Pharmacy — GBS and Vaccination: Usually Unrelated

Emilys_mom, I don’t believe the government requires a signed waiver, although I would have to see the form. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists a prior history of GBS as a contraindication for the live influenza vaccine, meaning that it should be administered in that case. For the inactivated influenza vaccine, a history of GBS is only a precaution, meaning that it as a matter of judgement. The footnote explains the reason for the precaution (which see), so persons who might receive it may give informed consent (or not). The CDC advises that it be administeted for persons who are at high risk.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/vac-admin/downloads/contraindications-guide-508.pdf

It may be that some third parties who admininister vaccinations refuse to give it to someone who has a prior history of GBS. If so, that is not a government requirement, merely an excess of caution. That would make good sense if the vaccine were administered by a pharmacy, for example. When there are precautions listed for a vaccine, patients should discuss the matter with their personal physician.