Shoulder Injuries Following Vaccination (SIRVA)

 Posted on April 06, 2023 in Vaccine Injuries

Shoulder soreness following vaccination is commonly experienced, but not all post- vaccination shoulder pain, particularly if severe, is normal. In the mid 2000’s, two physicians published an article about severe, chronic shoulder pain triggered in two patients by their recent vaccinations. A few years later, another piece of medical literature used the acronym SIRVA, or Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, for the first time to refer to these post-vaccination injuries.

SIRVA refers to a set of medical conditions impacting a shoulder following vaccination and can include bursitis, tendinitis, rotator cuff tearing, and adhesive capsulitis, among others.  While some individuals experience mild symptoms with a good recovery within a few months, for others, SIRVA injuries may be persistent and require medical interventions like physical therapy, cortisone injections, or even surgery. While the exact mechanism of SIRVA injures is unknown, it is suspected to be caused by improper vaccination administration technique and/or by the inflammatory response triggered by vaccination.

Since the mid 2010’s, SIRVA injuries have been recognized on the Vaccine Injury Table for all program covered vaccines. In the vaccine injury compensation program (VICP), SIRVA has a particular legal definition that includes no prior history of pain in the impacted shoulder, onset of symptoms within 48 hours post-vaccination, symptoms that are limited to the shoulder that received the vaccination and the absence of another condition, such as cervical radiculopathy, that would explain the symptoms that are being experienced.

While vaccine injuries are rare, SIRVA injuries are the most common cases filed in the VICP.

At Kraus Law Group, LLC, Attorneys Ed Kraus, Amy Kraus, and Brynna Gang have helped many  individuals with SIRVA injuries recover compensation in the VICP. Call us at (312) 858-2177 or fill out our contact us form to discuss the specifics of your potential claim.