Shoulder Injury From a Vaccine? It’s Called SIRVA.
IMPORTANT: This information does NOT apply to injuries from the COVID-19 vaccine.
What Is SIRVA?
SIRVA stands for “Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration.” It can happen when a vaccine is injected into the shoulder too high or too deep and can cause several types of injuries.
However, SIRVA can also happen when a vaccine is given the right way too. This injury can lead to intense, prolonged pain, limited range of motion, and shoulder-related injuries such as Adhesive Capsulitis or Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.
SIRVA can be caused by an injury to the musculoskeletal structures of the shoulders (for example tendons, ligaments, bursa) during the injection of a vaccine. Additionally, it can also be caused by the body’s immune system reacting adversely to one or more components of the vaccine.
The seasonal flu shot, among other vaccinations, is the most common cause of SIRVA because the vaccine is given annually to millions of people in the deltoid muscle of the arm. However, it’s important to note that although the risk of a SIRVA injury always exists, it is rare.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VICP
Get Our Step by Step Guide to Navigating the Vaccine Injury Program
Types of SIRVA or Shoulder Injury from a Vaccination
There are many types of shoulder injuries that can happen after getting a vaccine shot, but there are some that are more common. Those include:
- Shoulder tendonitis
- Shoulder bursitis
- Torn rotator cuff
- Shoulder impingement syndrome
- Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis
Criteria for a SIRVA Compensation Claim in the VICP
You must meet very specific criteria to be considered for a SIRVA claim under the Vaccine Injury Compensation program.
- Timing: Symptoms generally need to appear within 48 hours of getting the vaccine.
- Location: The pain and/or injury must be localized to the same shoulder as the vaccine was given.
- Duration: The injury must last for more than six months or required surgery within that time frame.
- Documentation: You’ll need medical records to prove the onset and duration of the symptoms are related to SIRVA.
Meeting these onset criteria is important for your claim to be considered valid under the VICP.
Shoulder pain after getting a vaccine? Take a simple 4 question quiz.
See if you qualify for a SIRVA vaccine injury case review.
Symptoms of SIRVA
Severe shoulder pain is the most common symptom of SIRVA. Symptoms typically occur between 0 – 48 hours after the injection. Most people complain of persistent shoulder pain and limited range of motion.
Treatment of SIRVA
In most cases, symptoms can be treated with pain medication, like an anti-inflammatory, and physical therapy to reduce swelling and improve the range of motion. Sometimes injections of corticosteroids are necessary. Additionally, many patients continue to experience pain, even after treatment. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the damage done to the shoulder’s ligaments and tendons.
mctlaw’s Top SIRVA Case Results
This is a sample of our highest SIRVA settlement awards. We fight for our clients in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and have helped secure millions of dollars in compensation for those injured by vaccines.
| Settlement Amounts | Illness or Symptoms | State | Vaccine Name | Link to Court Decision | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $443,284 | SIRVA | Illinois | Influenza Vaccine | Case 13-795V | 1/28/16 |
| $285,300 | SIRVA | Colorado | Flu | Case 16-896V | 8/2/19 |
| $246,973 | SIRVA | Virginia | Tetanus Diphtheria | Case 15-729V | 12/15/15 |
| $210,000 | SIRVA | New Hampshire | Flu | Case 20-1807V | 1/10/23 |
| $203,785 | SIRVA | Kentucky | Influenza Vaccine | Case 19-0456V | 12/16/20 |
Explore Past Client Stories and Compensation Results
See how we helped others like you get the compensation they deserved after a vaccine injury.
Having Trouble Deciding Who Will Represent You in Your Vaccine Case?
We make it easy with our simple guide to choosing the right lawyer for your vaccine case.
Managing Partner, Altom Maglio, interviewed by CNBC
CNBC interviewed Altom Maglio regarding vaccine injury compensations. They discuss how shoulder injuries are the most common vaccination injury from any vaccine that people seek government compensation for. To learn more click here
Common Adverse Vaccine Reactions
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Intussusception
- Pemphigus
- Brachial Neuritis
- Polyarteritis Nodosa
- Rheumatoid Arthritis or JRA
- Neuromyelitis Optica
- Thrombocytopenia Purpura
- Dermatomyositis or JDM
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS or RSD)
- SIRVA
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Encephalitis
- Transverse Myelitis
- Bell’s Palsy
- Aplastic Anemia
- Henoch Schonlein Purpura
- Linear IGA Bullous Dermatosis
- Fainting After a Vaccine
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Content Reviewed by Danielle Strait – Vaccine Injury Lawyer
Danielle Strait joined mctlaw as an attorney in 2012 and represents clients across the country in vaccine injury compensation claims. Although based in mctlaw’s Seattle office, Ms. Strait previously worked in the Firm’s Washington, DC location. Danielle spent three years serving as a federal judicial law clerk before joining mctlaw.
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