Michael Mancesri v. HHS - Tdap, lipoma (2015)

Michael Mancesri filed a petition alleging that a Tdap vaccine received on April 23, 2012, caused right arm pain, swelling, bursitis, and a mass requiring removal. He also received a pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) on the same day.

The alleged injury was a lipoma, which is a fatty tumor. The petitioner's medical records indicated the vaccination was in the left arm, while the alleged injury was in the right arm, and there was no clear etiology for the right shoulder and arm problems.

Furthermore, the decision noted a lack of proof that a Tdap vaccination could cause a lipoma, especially on the opposite side of the body from the injection. The petitioner's counsel consulted with several physicians, including Dr.

K. Scott Reinmuth, who stated that causation was only 'possible' and not probable.

Based on the lack of medical evidence and expert support for causation, and the petitioner's counsel's inability to prove the allegations, the petitioner's motion to dismiss was granted. The case was dismissed for failure to prove causation by a preponderance of the evidence.