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FDA says Guillain-Barre syndrome is possible risk of Pfizer’s RSV vaccine for older adults



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This 1981 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an electron micrograph of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, also known as RSV.CDC via APThe Food and Drug Administration sees a possible risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome with Pfizer’s RSV vaccine for older adults and has asked the company to conduct a safety study if the shot is approved this spring, according to agency briefing documents published Friday.Two people in their 60s who received Pfizer’s shot were diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, out of about 20,000 vaccine recipients in the phase three trial, according to the FDA document. There were no cases in the trial’s placebo group, the people who didn’t receive the shot.Guillain-Barre syndrome, or inflammatory neuropathy, is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves. Symptoms range from brief weakness to paralysis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most people recover, even from severe cases.Pfizer, in its briefing document, said the cases have other possible explanations. But it said it will conduct a safety study to further assess Guillain-Barre syndrome after a potential approval. The company said it did not identify any safety conce …

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