(Natural News) Las Vegas father Shane Morgan is fighting for his life after getting a flu shot earlier this month, and his story is a solemn reminder that vaccines aren’t as harmless as many make them out to be.

Morgan got a flu shot on November 2, and 36 hours later, he developed flu-like symptoms. By November 14, he could no longer feel his legs, so he asked his wife to bring him to the emergency room. He was admitted in critical condition and is now fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit.

Shane, age 46, is now unable to speak or move. He is being fed through a tube and breathing with the help of a ventilator, and it’s all because he developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in response to the flu vaccine. The rare disorder has been linked to the shot, and it causes people’s immune system to attack their own nerve cells, which can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis. While most people will fully recover from it, not everyone is so lucky. Some will die from the disease, while others will sustain long-term nerve damage. The symptoms last for several weeks.

Morgan and his wife had been looking forward to their young son’s first Christmas. Now, his concerned wife is trying to educate the public about GBS in hopes of sparing others from the tragedy. The couple doesn’t normally get the flu shot, but they reportedly agreed to get the jab after Shane’s older daughter requested they get vaccinated before visiting her infant.

One doctor told NBC television affiliate WVVA that while a flu shot doesn’t actually inject people with the GBS, the body’s natural response to the flu shot or other pathogens can cause it. The CDC says the cause of the disease is unknown, but roughly two thirds of those who develop it start to note symptoms within several days or weeks of a respiratory or digestive illness. It can be spurred by vaccination, bacteria, or another infection. Between 3,000 and 6,000 Americans develop the illness every year.