Reporting Toolkit for Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Neurologists Asked to Monitor Patients for GBS

• VAERS: GBS Reporting
• Webinars and Educational Resources
  • Webinar FAQ
• EIP State Resources
• GBS Information
• H1N1 Vaccine Billing Information
• Additional Resources
  • Audio/Video Resources

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.

VAERS: GBS Reporting Resources

• Report an Adverse Event
• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) main website

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

• Neurology® guideline
• Clinician guideline summary
• Patient guideline summary
• Slide presentation (.ppt)
• Background/data

H1N1 Vaccine Billing Information

• Vaccine Payer Policies Overview (provided by AMA)

Additional Resources

• Information on H1N1
• Press Release
• NINDS Disorder Index: Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Audio/Video Resources

• Podcast presented by AANEM: "Is there an increased risk of GBS following influenza vaccines or other vaccines?" featuring Richard L. Hughes MD, FAAN (click on podcast 48 in table, "2009 Podcast Topics")
• Consumer Reports video: "Is Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?" featuring Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN
• Read and watch an interview with James J. Sejvar, MD, discussing the H1N1 influenza

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