P.S. v. HHS - Hepatitis B, undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), autoimmune or atrophic gastritis, and other injuries (2020)

P.S., an adult, received three hepatitis B vaccinations on August 14, 2013, December 17, 2013, and May 16, 2014. He alleged that these vaccinations caused or significantly aggravated undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), autoimmune or atrophic gastritis, and other injuries.

The petitioner's medical history prior to vaccination included various complaints such as hair loss, itching, abdominal pain, and a rectal fistula. Following the vaccinations, P.S. sought medical attention for a wide range of symptoms including neck and back pain, joint pain, fatigue, paresthesias, and gastrointestinal issues.

He was seen by numerous specialists who provided various diagnoses, including vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, pernicious anemia, osteoarthritis, and somatization disorder. Despite extensive medical evaluations and testing, no definitive diagnosis of UCTD, ankylosing spondylitis, or autoimmune gastritis causally linked to the hepatitis B vaccine was established.

The court noted inconsistencies between a consulting rheumatologist's opinion letters and his contemporaneous medical records. Ultimately, the court found that P.S. failed to carry his burden of proving a defined and recognized injury causally related to the hepatitis B vaccinations.

Consequently, the petition was dismissed on May 15, 2020, for failure to establish entitlement. A subsequent decision on April 4, 2023, addressed attorneys' fees and costs, granting relief from judgment to allow payment directly to counsel due to petitioner's uncooperative behavior.