Teen Gets Rare Illness After H1N1 Shot

A Virginia high school student was released from the hospital Tuesday after developing a rare disease within hours of being vaccinated against swine flu, MSNBC reported.

Jordan McFarland, 14, of Alexandria, Va., experienced severe headaches, muscle spasms and leg weakness after getting the H1N1 vaccine. His parents told MSNBC that doctors diagnosed him with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack part of the nervous system. Only a handful of cases of the syndrome have been reported in relation to the vaccine.

“The doctor said I’ll recover fully, but it’s going to take some time,” said Jordan, who will need physical therapy and might have to move around with the aid of a walker for a few weeks.
An official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there was no clear link between the vaccine and the syndrome, the television network reported.