Linda Parker v. HHS - Influenza, rheumatoid arthritis and polyarticular inflammation (2019)

Linda Parker alleged that the influenza vaccine she received on October 19, 2013, caused her to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and polyarticular inflammation. The court reviewed extensive medical records and expert testimony from both sides.

Petitioner's expert, Dr. Utz, proposed a molecular mimicry theory, suggesting the vaccine's hemagglutinin antigen could cross-react with self-antigens like collagen, triggering RA.

Respondent's expert, Dr. Matloubian, countered that RA is complex, not typically post-infectious, and that Petitioner's risk factors, particularly long-term smoking, likely contributed to her RA, which may have been in a preclinical phase before vaccination.

The court found that Petitioner failed to establish causation-in-fact under the Althen test. Specifically, the court noted inconsistencies in the timing of symptom onset presented by Petitioner's expert and found that the evidence did not sufficiently link the vaccine as the cause of her RA.

The court also noted that large studies did not show an increased risk of RA following vaccination, even in individuals with risk factors. Ultimately, the court concluded that Petitioner had not met her burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the flu vaccine caused her rheumatoid arthritis and denied her claim for compensation.