Abstract
Purpose To summarize data on associations between inactivated influenza vaccines and the Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Methods The association between inactivated influenza vaccines and the Guillain-Barré syndrome was described and discussed, mainly on the basis of previous studies cited in “Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices”.
Results The A/New Jersey/76 swine influenza vaccine has been reported to be associated with occurrence of the Guillain-Barré syndrome. However, it is unclear whether seasonal inactivated influenza vaccines are associated with the occurrence of the syndrome. According to a study from the United States, which reported a statistically significant association between seasonal inactivated influenza vaccines and Guillain-Barré syndrome, the best estimate of maximum attributable risk, after allowing for study limitations, is 1.6 cases per million vaccinations.
Discussion We could not draw any definite conclusions about any causal relationship between seasonal influenza vaccination and the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Therefore we considering the estimated benefits of seasonal influenza vaccination to outweigh the reported risk of subsequent development of the Guillain-Barré syndrome.
