Diane Solak v. HHS - Influenza, multiple allergic reactions, food allergies, urticaria, angioedema (2021)

Diane Solak filed a petition alleging that an inactivated influenza vaccine she received on September 29, 2011, caused her to develop multiple allergic reactions, including food allergies and urticaria. The case was litigated as an off-Table claim.

Petitioner's expert, Dr. Axelrod, theorized that the vaccine caused an immune complex disease and a shift to a Th2 phenotype, leading to severe food allergies and chronic urticaria.

Respondent's expert, Dr. Bardana, disputed this theory, attributing Petitioner's symptoms to viral infections, drug reactions, and anxiety, and finding no credible evidence of severe allergies or autoimmune disease caused by the vaccine.

The medical records showed Petitioner had a viral infection shortly after vaccination, and subsequent allergic reactions were often mild, lacked objective findings, or were attributed to anxiety. The court found that Petitioner failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the flu vaccine caused her alleged injuries, specifically a systemic adaptive immune response, chronic urticaria, or severe allergies.

The petition was therefore dismissed.