Even though the H1N1 vaccine is widely available, lots of people
have held off on getting it, some because they're scared of side
effects or getting sick from the vaccine itself. Part of that
concern stems from what happened during the 1976 swine flu
outbreak . After getting vaccinated, 500 people contracted a
rare, paralyzing autoimmune syndrome called Guillain-Barre (say
"ghee-YAN bah-RAY") or GBS. Thirty-two people died after getting
GBS, compared with only one person who died from the actual
swine flu. I had GBS my senior year of college, therefore I
won't be taking any chances. What is GBS? GBS can occur after
respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infections, vaccines or
surgery . There is no known cure. It affects only one in 100,000
people yearly, but its impact is devastating. GBS attacks the
nerve endings of the body and can lead to temporary or permanent
paralysis and even death. I developed GBS after a respiratory
illness. Within two days, I couldn't walk and was admitted to
the hospital ICU for a