Galen L. Strong v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”) and/or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”) (2018)

Galen L. Strong filed this action alleging Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and/or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) following an influenza vaccine received on September 19, 2012.

Mr. Strong, who was 60 years old at the time, alleged symptom onset within two to three weeks post-vaccination.

However, the medical records indicated that his first documented neuropathic symptoms, leg pain and paresthesias, began around February 5, 2013, over four months after vaccination. During treatment for these symptoms, Mr.

Strong was diagnosed with an undiagnosed HIV infection, which predated the vaccination. Petitioner's expert, Dr.

Kinsbourne, opined that the symptoms were consistent with CIDP and caused by the vaccine, but acknowledged his opinion was contingent on an earlier onset than supported by the medical records. Respondent's experts, Drs.

Donofrio and Collins, concluded that Mr. Strong's neuropathy was more likely caused by his HIV infection, citing the timing of symptoms, specific test results (pleocytosis), and the lack of classic GBS indicators in the medical records.

The Special Master found that the evidence best supported the conclusion that Mr. Strong's neuropathic symptoms were more likely related to his HIV infection than the flu vaccine.

The delay between vaccination and the earliest corroborated symptom onset (February 2013) was too long to establish a medically acceptable temporal relationship for a vaccine-caused GBS or CIDP. Therefore, entitlement to compensation was denied.