The Claim:
A story from 2013 is again circulating. In the story, a 19-year-old man died after receiving a flu shot, and the family pinned the blame on the shot.
The Facts:
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an autoimmune disease wherein inflammation attacks the brain and spinal cord. It can occur after any bacterial or viral attack.
ADEM is extremely rare, and more than half of ADEM cases occur after a viral or bacterial infection. Most cases occur 4-14 days following infection.
Though it is possible that a vaccine could cause ADEM, The Health and Medicine Division (HMD) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (previously the Institute of Medicine) in 2012 said evidence of a causal link is weak. It is so rare to occur after a vaccination that there are case studies about such occurrences.
In this case of ADEM after influenza vaccination, the patient became sick within 24 hours of vaccination. He died 28 days later with no apparent cause of death, but the family refused an autopsy. The family was the main driver of the belief that the flu shot was to blame.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved since this was originally posted. Browse the latest information posted in Just the Facts Topics.
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