1976 incidents often go unmentioned, but may prove quite relevant when mass immunizations begin occurring late in 2009.

In 1976, U.S. Army recruit Private David Lewis was based at Fort Dix, N.J., and suddenly felt very sick. Within a day he was dead. The cause of his death was given as "swine flu," otherwise known as the H1N1 influenza virus. As a consequence of this single death, approximately 45 million Americans were inoculated against H1N1 between October 1, 1976, and December 16, 1976.

Shortly after the 1976 vaccinations began, recipients of the vaccine began developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological illness associated with loss of muscle control, leg and arm paralysis, tingling and weakness.

According to Dr. Walter Rocca, now one of two co-directors of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, "The Rochester Epidemiology Project helped uncover that there were more cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. The vaccine was given and there were no foreseen issues – and then a number of neurologists started to notice people coming in with Guillain-Barre." Out of prudence, the 1976 vaccinations were stopped.

In Olmsted County, New Jersey, where Fort Dix is located, between 1935 and 1980, 48 residents of Olmsted County (29 male and 19 female) met the criteria for a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Twenty persons, an increased risk that was limited to the initial five or six weeks after being immunized, showed a small but significant vaccine-attributable rise in Guillain-Barre risk.

Is the 2009 new vaccine against H1N1 pandemic influenza risky?

"No vaccine is without risk," said Claudia Vellozzi, acting deputy director for the Immunization Safety Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping such prudence in mind, the CDC staff will continue to watch for Guillain-Barre and other risks this year. Federal officials say that the H1N1 vaccine includes a smaller portion of the virus, thus making it much safer than the 1976 vaccine.

But this is small consolation to those who were adversely affected thirty-three years ago. Guillain-Barre syndrome can drastically affect a person’s quality of life, even if the illness is rarely fatal. Michael Lindstrom was a New Jersey-based minor league baseball player with hopes of making it to the Major Leagues when he was inoculated in 1976. Afflicted with Guillain-Barre that same year, he never played another game.