Meningococcal vaccine and Guillain Barre syndrome.(Safety and Efficacy Issues)

United States of America -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are alerting consumers and health care providers to five reports of Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) following administration of meningococcal conjugate vaccine A, C, Y, and W135 (Menactra[R]), manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. It is not yet known whether these cases were caused by the vaccine or are coincidental.

Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a serious neurological disorder that can occur, often in healthy individuals, either spontaneously or after certain infections. GBS typically causes increasing weakness in the legs and arms that can be severe and …