meningococcal Vaccine Injuries
About the Meningococcal Vaccine
Vaccines can help prevent meningococcal disease, which is any type of illness caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. There are 2 types of meningococcal vaccines available in the United States:
- Meningococcal conjugate or MenACWY vaccines (Menactra® and Menveo®)
- Serogroup B meningococcal or MenB vaccines (Bexsero® and Trumenba®)
All 11 to 12-year-olds are advised to get a meningococcal conjugate vaccine, with a booster dose at 16 years old. Teens and young adults (16 through 23-year-olds) also may get a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine. The CDC also recommends meningococcal vaccination for other children and adults who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease.
IMPORTANT: The information below does NOT apply to injuries from COVID-19 vaccinations.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome GBS
GBS is an autoimmune disorder that causes your immune system to attack the protective layer around the nerves. The symptoms of GBS can begin several days after an immunization like the meningococcal shot.
While most side effects of the meningitis vaccine are minor (such as low-grade fever or swelling at the injection site), severe reactions have been reported. These include:
- Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction)
- Dizziness or fainting
- Exceptionally high fever
- Weakness in the arms and legs
- Brain damage
- Jerking movements
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
- Onset of physical or intellectual disability
- Death
See How Much We’ve Won For Our Vaccine Injury Clients
See a list of mctlaw’s client awards. The entire dollar amount shown goes directly to our clients because our legal fees are paid separately by the Federal Court
How the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Works
- Mctlaw files all vaccine injury cases through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), a special no-fault court designed to compensate individuals who suffer severe vaccine injuries. Because mctlaw’s legal fees are paid directly by the NVICP, you will never pay any money to our firm–even if you receive compensation for your vaccine injury. In fact, it is illegal for attorneys to charge clients any fees related to an NVICP case.
- According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for every one million vaccines administered in the U.S., there is one NVICP payout. Because there are such strict regulations to qualify for NVICP compensation, having attorneys with extensive vaccine court experience is key to your case.
- Vaccine injury payouts can happen in two different ways: as a direct compensation from the NVICP, or as the result of an out-of-court settlement. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the average length of time from filing to receiving a payout is about two to three years.
In-Court Compensation for Vaccine Injury:
In order to receive compensation from the court, the petitioner must prove that there is a causal relationship between the vaccine and the injury. This means the petitioner must show that the vaccine was the logical cause of the injury. This requires the petitioner’s attorneys to present evidence such as:
- Medical theories–such as peer-reviewed, scientific studies–show a connection between a particular vaccine and a particular injury.
- A plausible series of events showing a cause-and-effect relationship between the vaccine and the injury
- A timeline that clearly connects the injury to the vaccine
Out-of-Court Vaccine Injury Settlements:
According to the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), about “70 percent of all compensation awarded by the VICP comes as a result of a negotiated settlement.” Negotiated settlements may happen outside of court when the Department of Health and Human Services has not concluded that the vaccine caused the injury. HRSA notes that negotiated settlements typically reduce the time and cost of litigating a case.
Content Reviewed by Jessica Olins – Vaccine Injury Lawyer
Jessica A. Olins’ practice at mctlaw, focuses on representing clients in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Ms. Olins graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Redlands University and graduated from American University Washington College of Law. While at Redlands University, Ms. Olins excelled in leading and training her colleagues through new developments in spatial mapping, involving geographic information system software and geodatabase management applications. Her law practice also involves engaging in subpoena enforcement in federal district courts nationwide. Ms. Olins is a member of the Vaccine Injury Practitioners Bar Committee, assisting in the preparation and organization of the VIP Bar Conferences. Ms. Olins is a member of the American Association for Justice and its New Lawyers Division. Additionally, Ms. Olins is a member of the Young Lawyers Division of the United States Court of Federal Claims.
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