MMR Vaccine Drawn into Syringe

Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and Vaccine Injury

What is the MMR Vaccine?

MMR is a 2-dose vaccine that protects against the measles, mumps, and rubella viruses. The CDC recommends giving the MMR shot to children between 12 to 15 months old and the second does between 4 to 6 years old.

The side effects to the MMR shot are typically mild and short-lived, but in rare cases, the MMR shot can trigger severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), Thrombocytopenic PurpuraTransverse Myelitis (TM), Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), Chronic Arthritis, Encephalitis, other immune reactions, and even death.

IMPORTANT: The information below does NOT apply to injuries from COVID-19 vaccinations.

Is There Compensation for an MMR Vaccine Injury?

Yes, the federal government set up the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) to help people who experience these severe injuries from a vaccination. A federal trust fund has paid out billions of dollars to compensate vaccine-injured patients across the country. Mctlaw won hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients in the VICP over the past several years. You can see some of our thousands of successful client case results here.

$101 Million Case Award for MMR Vaccine Injured Client

mctlaw. vaccine attorneys negotiated compensation for a client who’s child was severely injured by a bad reaction to the mmr vaccine.

We represented a one-year-old baby girl, who had a severe reaction to an MMR shot. The baby’s mother noticed she was feverish and uncomfortable that night. They gave her Tylenol at her doctor’s advice, but it didn’t bring down the fever. Her parents rushed her to the ER, and she went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. Doctors placed her on a ventilator. Though they saved the baby’s life, she was left with irreparable injuries. Her mctlaw vaccine injury lawyers negotiated a $101 million lifetime settlement from the VICP. 

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE

Having Trouble Deciding Who Will Represent You in Your Vaccine Case?

We make it easy with our simple guide to choosing the right lawyer for your vaccine case.

How Can Our Vaccine Injury Attorneys Help You?

To best help you, we need the following documents to see if you qualify to file a claim in the VICP:

  • Your vaccination records, including the date you were vaccinated and the type of vaccine you received.
  • The record of your first treatment after the vaccine reaction.
  • The record of your latest treatment for the vaccine injury.

Why Choose mctlaw To Represent You?

  • Mctlaw currently represents hundreds of vaccine injury patients across the United States.
  • The attorneys at mctlaw have won hundreds of millions of dollars in vaccine injury payouts and 100% of that money went directly to our clients.
  • Our clients never pay a legal fee for our services, and we do not take any part of their financial award.
  • Not all attorneys are able to practice law before the Federal Vaccine Court. That’s why you should hire an attorney with extensive experience in this area of law. These are not simple personal injury cases. They are medically and scientifically complex.

Common Reactions to the MMR Vaccine

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, is a rare neurological disorder that primarily affects children but can also occur in adults. ADEM usually occurs after a viral or bacterial infection; however, there have been ADEM cases that developed following a flu shot.

With ADEM, the immune system essentially overreacts and produces inflammation in the nervous system and damages the protective layer that coats nerve fibers. This causes individuals with ADEM to experience confusion, blurry vision, and difficulty moving.

Though the disorder can be quite debilitating, the severity of symptoms can be managed with treatment, and individuals can make a full recovery from ADEM.

Encephalitis

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. It can be caused by a direct infection to the brain (a condition called infectious encephalitis) or by the immune system mistakenly attacking the brain (a condition called autoimmune encephalitis, or post-infectious encephalitis). In very rare cases, individuals have experienced autoimmune encephalitis after receiving the influenza vaccine.

Although treatment for encephalitis exists, recovery from this disorder varies widely on a case-by-case basis. While some people make full recoveries, others are left with lifelong complications.

Transverse Myelitis

Transverse Myelitis is a rare neurological disorder in which both sides of the spinal cord become inflamed, causing paralysis, pain and other disturbances throughout the body.

An autoimmune disease, transverse myelitis occurs when a triggering event (such as an infection or even a flu vaccine) causes the immune system to go haywire and attack the spinal cord as if it were a disease.

The typical case of transverse myelitis causes weakness in an area of the body (such as the legs) that becomes progressively worse and can spread to other parts of the body.

Symptoms typically progress rapidly over the course of a few days. Recovery is either partial, moderate, or full depending on how well the individual responds to treatment.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the liver cells, causing liver damage and dysfunction. Though the cause of autoimmune hepatitis is not clear, in rare cases, autoimmune hepatitis has occurred in patients who recently received the flu shot.

Symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis include yellowing of the skin and eyes, abdominal pain, severe fatigue, and joint pain. Severe cases of autoimmune hepatitis may result in liver scarring (cirrhosis) and liver failure. The most serious cases require liver transplants for recovery.

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP), also called IgA vasculitis, is a disease in which the blood vessels swell and can even leak. HSP occurs when the immune system becomes overactive and mistakenly attacks the blood vessels.

Though it is not clear what exactly triggers this overactive response from the immune system, some individuals have developed HSP after receiving the flu vaccine.

The primary symptom of HSP is a rash that resembles raised bruises or red dots. This rash, caused by leaking blood vessels, can spread throughout the entire body.

HSP can also cause digestive complications and, in the most serious cases, it can lead to kidney failure.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, or CIDP, is a disorder that causes weakness and dysfunction in the limbs. In rare cases, CIDP can develop after receiving a flu vaccine.

Though the exact cause of CIDP is not known, evidence suggests that it is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the protective layer around the nerves.

CIDP typically begins with numbness or tingling in the toes and/or fingers, and then spreads to the arms and legs. Although some individuals experience permanent weakness in the affected body parts, most people with CIDP make a full recovery.

Thrombocytopenia Purpura

Thrombocytopenia is a disorder in which your blood platelet levels are lower than they should be.

Thrombocytopenia can be caused by a variety of factors, such as autoimmune disorders, pregnancy, medications, and–in very rare cases–the MMR vaccine.

Individuals with thrombocytopenia may have low blood platelet counts for one of three reasons: underproduction of platelets in the bone marrow (where all blood cells are produced), disproportionately large destruction of platelets, or platelets becoming trapped inside of the spleen.

Because platelets, also called thrombocytes, are necessary to clot the blood and stop bleeding, severe cases of thrombocytopenia can cause internal bleeding.

Symptoms of thrombocytopenia include excessive bleeding, patches of visible bleeding below the skin, bloody noses and gums, and fatigue.

Individuals may take years to recover. However, milder cases of thrombocytopenia can respond to treatment and resolve within a few days.

Diagnosed with a Vaccine Injury?

Our vaccine attorneys can review your case and determine if we can represent you.

There is a statute of limitations to file a claim. If you miss the deadline, there are no second chances.

Possible Adverse Reactions to MMR:

  • Soreness
  • Redness and swelling at the site the vaccine was administered
  • Rash
  • Fever
  • Swollen gland in the cheeks and neck

Our Client Case Results

Our attorneys have won hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for our vaccine injury clients. See more than 600+ of our case results and their award amounts.

Content Reviewed by Diana Stadelnikas – Vaccine Injury Lawyer

Headshot of MCTLaw attorney Diana Stadelnikas

Diana L. Stadelnikas is a lawyer who represents vaccine injury clients and families across the United States. She is admitted to the Florida Bar and is a member of the bar of the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC. Ms. Stadelnikas has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Diana was part of a pioneering team of pediatric surgical nurses at West Virginia University Medical Center.

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