Once again, flu season is upon us. With it, the annual cry from healthcare professionals asking the public to have themselves vaccinated against the disease.
But what if it is the doctor you are entrusting your health with that has made a mistake when administering the vaccine?
Jacalyn Broze from Minnesota is no stranger to getting vaccination shots.
According to what she told local reporters, she would get the flu vaccine every year, as per her doctor’s recommendations.
Unfortunately, in 2017, this reliable routine of protection turned out to have much more severe consequences on her health than it usually did.
KPMUnews – Flickr
After her regular shot, Broze went home to rest as usual. Something, however, didn’t feel right.
While it is common to have your arm feeling sore after a flu shot, the symptoms Broze was getting were extreme and alarming.
She was experiencing severe pain in her shoulders, and her chiropractor pointed out that there was an extreme sloping in her right shoulder and arm.
Worried, Broze tried to find out what was going on.
She had to see several doctors before she could finally place a name to what was going on with her body – SIRVA, or Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration.
In other words, she was on the receiving end of a medical complication caused by an improper administration of a vaccine.
Jacalyn Broze – Facebook
As you can imagine from an injection delivered into the wrong part of the body, SIRVA can cause plenty of problems.
Some of them include injuries to ligaments and tendons or even create bursa – the medical term for when your shoulder spaces become home to fluid-filled sacs.
These complications can lead to shoulder-related injuries, limited range of motion, and prolonged pain.
For Broze’s particular case, the placement of her vaccine delivery was likely delivered too high or too deep into her upper arm, and the result was a nightmare.
Another MRI done by the surgeon revealed that her rotator cuff had a complete tear – in other words, her arm had fallen off internally.
WCCO
Luckily, the chances of getting SIRVA is incredibly rare, so Broze’s case is an isolated incident that will likely not happen again.
In the meantime, her surgery to repair her shoulder tear was successful, and she is currently undergoing physical therapy to regain her arm mobility.
You would think an incident like this would have shaken Broze’s faith in vaccination, but in spite of her experience she still strongly encourages the public to get vaccinated.
She does, however, warn people to be careful of how their shots are given.
This is especially important because this incident wasn’t caused by the vaccine itself – rather, the injury was caused by the delivery of her vaccination.
Wikimedia Commons
The influenza virus and its accompanying complications can get deadly for those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly, young children, and those with preexisting health conditions.
With just how fast the influenza virus evolves every flu season, vaccinations are necessary to not just protect yourself, but those around you.
Considering just how important it can be, hopefully, doctors will be much more careful when delivering the shot in the future.