Reporting Toolkit for Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Neurologists Asked to Monitor Patients for GBS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) are requesting neurologists to report any possible new cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination using the CDC and US Food and Drug Administration Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

It is not anticipated that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will have an increased risk of GBS. However, out of an abundance of caution, and given that GBS may be of greater concern with any pandemic vaccine because of the association of GBS with the 1976 swine flu vaccine, the CDC and AAN are asking neurologists to report any potential new cases of GBS after-vaccination as part of the CDC's national vaccine safety monitoring campaign.

H1N1 Vaccine Surveillance Concludes

Over the course of the 2009-2010 influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) worked together to raise awareness among the neurologic community of the need for reporting of suspected adverse events after vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). In addition, a special effort was made to enhance reporting of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination. Specifically, neurologists in certain areas of the country where a special surveillance project was implemented, were requested to report all diagnosed cases of GBS, irrespective of vaccine status, to vaccine surveillance personnel. This was in an effort to detect if there was an increased risk of GBS following H1N1 vaccination. You answered the call. The cooperation and engagement demonstrated by neurologists nation-wide in this effort has been tremendous.

The CDC is currently assessing and analyzing the information and will publish a full report of the findings this winter. Read the preliminary report here. The CDC and AAN wish to thank you in the neurologic community for your active participation in this important public health endeavor.

CDC Releases Preliminary Report of Surveillance for GBS in 10 States

Throughout the 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza season, CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) conducted active surveillance for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) as a part of 2009 H1N1 vaccine safety monitoring in 10 EIP regions nationwide. The CDC has released a report of the preliminary findings from EIP surveillance which indicate a small but elevated association between GBS and H1N1 vaccination, which if confirmed would correspond to approximately one additional GBS case per million vaccinations. Other vaccine monitoring systems have not found a corresponding link between H1N1 vaccine and GBS.
Read the full report here.

VAERS: GBS Reporting Resources

EIP State Resources

Do You Practice in an Emerging Infections Program (EIP) State?

The CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) is a partnership of state and local health departments, academic centers, and CDC dedicated to performing surveillance and public health research related to emerging infections and vaccine preventable infections. To aid the CDC in evaluating the safety of the novel H1N1 vaccine, CDC's EIP and the AAN have asked neurologists, hospitalists, emergency medical physicians, and other health care professionals in 10 states (CT, MD, MN, NM, TN, CA, and selected regions of CO, GA, NY, and OR) to practice increased vigilance with their patients and to report any possible new cases of GBS, regardless of vaccination, to their state's surveillance officer.

Your active involvement is extremely important. The request for heightened GBS surveillance in these states is a strategy for increased detection. Visit the EIP Resource page to find out more about surveillance in your state.

Webinars and Educational Resources

In October 2009, the AAN hosted two free webinars specially designed for neurologists and other health care professionals. These multimedia presentations featured important information on reporting GBS and related cases, general facts about the disorder, and more.

Download the slide presentation used during the webinar.

Read a FAQ created from the question and answer session that followed the webinar.

Be sure to encourage your colleagues to view this important presentation. All health care professionals should be aware of this critical vaccination monitoring program and report to the CDC.

GBS Information

Guidelines

H1N1 Vaccine Billing Information

Additional Resources

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For More Information
Amy Wallace

Project Manager, Patient Safety and Communication
awallace@aan.com
(612) 928-6072

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