Maria Ambriz v. HHS - HPV, autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (2023)

Maria Ambriz, as representative of the estate of Stephanie Delapaz, filed a petition for compensation alleging that the HPV vaccine Stephanie received on May 15, 2012, caused her to suffer from autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG). Stephanie Delapaz was an adult at the time of vaccination.

The petitioner presented medical records and expert testimony from Dr. Svetlana Blitshteyn, who opined that Ms.

Delapaz suffered from AAG, a rare autoimmune disorder, triggered by the HPV vaccine through molecular mimicry. Respondent's expert, Dr.

Phillip Low, a leading authority on AAG, testified that Ms. Delapaz did not meet the diagnostic criteria for AAG, citing the lack of specific antibodies, absence of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (OH), normal adrenergic function, and no clinical evidence of cholinergic failure.

Dr. Low also noted that Ms.

Delapaz's symptoms predated the vaccination and that her autonomic function tests were compromised by medication. The court found that the petitioner failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that Ms.

Delapaz suffered from AAG or that the HPV vaccine caused her condition. The court noted that while Ms.

Delapaz experienced an acute allergic reaction to the vaccine, this reaction did not meet the durational or severity requirements for compensation. Furthermore, the court found that the petitioner did not establish a plausible biological mechanism or a sufficient temporal relationship to link the HPV vaccine to AAG.

Consequently, the petition was denied.