THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Wyatt McGlaun, a teenager in The Woodlands, said he got Guillan-Barre syndrome a few weeks after his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I wanted to get the vaccine. I felt it was the right thing to do,” McGlaun said. “I wanted to travel and enjoy my last summer before college.”
However, he said, he got extremely weak and had difficulty walking when he was admitted to CHI St. Luke’s in The Woodlands where he was diagnosed.
“I just knew something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t getting any better,” Wyatt explained.
The NIH reports one case of GBS in an 82-year-old woman, who also got one dose of the vaccine.
Dr. Charles Sims, Montgomery County Health Authority and infectious disease doctor from St. Luke’s in The Woodlands, said it is more often caused by a viral or bacterial infection and he can’t say the vaccine caused Wyatt’s condition.
“There have been cases seen in people who have received the vaccine but they’re not at any higher rate than people who have not received the vaccine. Guillan Barre is seen in one-two people per million per year,” Dr. Sims said.
Therefore, Dr. Sims said the condition could be a coincidence.
While Wyatt’s parents said they’re not trying to deter anyone from the vaccine but they do want others to recognize if this happens to them.
“Do your research,” Joe McGlaun said. “It’s a personal choice.”
“Listen to your body is the biggest thing that I’ve learned,” Wyatt said.
Dr. Sims said if adverse reactions are reported to the CDC they will be investigated. Wyatt’s family said they do plan to report it.