Penny Walden v. HHS - MMR, Fibromyalgia (2016)

Penny Walden petitioned for compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, alleging that she developed Fibromyalgia after receiving the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. The Respondent noted that the medical records did not provide sufficient proof of a vaccine injury, citing a lack of medical theory for MMR causing fibromyalgia, no clear sequence of cause and effect, and no temporal relationship between vaccination and injury.

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia was made over eighteen months after vaccination. The case faced procedural delays, including a motion to withdraw by Petitioner's counsel and subsequent orders for Petitioner to provide status reports.

Ultimately, Petitioner informed the court that she was no longer pursuing the claim due to failing health and her inability to find physicians who would opine in favor of causation. The court found that the record lacked evidence of a Table injury or proof that the vaccine caused her alleged Fibromyalgia, and dismissed the petition for failure to prosecute and insufficient proof.