GBS not from flu shot

My neuro recommended not getting flu shots post GBS. Nobody knows with certainty that a flu shot will or will not trigger a new episode of GBS. I think it is prudent not to take the risk. Getting the flu and being miserable for a few weeks pales in comparison to getting a recurrence of GBS.

You are at no more risk from receiving a flu shot than you were from any previous vaccination. The CDC notes a “precaution” if you have had a reaction from a previous vaccination.

The incidence of GBS is the same between those who receive an influenza vaccine and those who do not. I was vaccinated last year with no adverse reaction. I will get it again this year, but am waiting for my doctor to get the hig-dosage version.

Spencer, the common flu virus should not trigger the GBS. There is always a chance that you could get GBS again. But your chance is no greater than if you never had GBS.

In my case, the GBS was triggered by a virus that mimicked my nerve fibers. My autoimmune system responded by producing antibodies to kill-off the virus, and the antibodies killed-off my nerve fibers too.

It is extremely rare to get that kind of virus (such as cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus). The chances of getting the virus from the common flu here in the U.S. or Hawaii are probably 1 in 1,000,000. You would have a better chance of getting hit by lightening or winning the lottery!