Barbara Sheets v. HHS - Influenza, Rippling Muscle Disease (RMD) (2019)

Barbara Sheets, born in 1964, received influenza and Tdap vaccines on December 23, 2013. She alleged that she developed Rippling Muscle Disease (RMD) or that a pre-existing autoimmune condition was significantly aggravated by these vaccines.

Ms. Sheets had a history of undifferentiated or mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune disorder, dating back to 2010.

Her medical records showed symptoms of fatigue and abdominal pain around the time of vaccination, and she had a MRSA infection a few weeks prior. She reported experiencing rippling muscle symptoms in early spring 2014, several months after vaccination, and was eventually diagnosed with RMD by several treating physicians.

Her expert, Dr. Rinker, theorized that the vaccines could have caused RMD through molecular mimicry or significantly aggravated her underlying autoimmune condition.

Respondent's expert, Dr. Chaudhry, opined that Ms.

Sheets did not have RMD and that her symptoms were a manifestation of her pre-existing connective tissue disease, potentially triggered by her MRSA infection. The court found that while Ms.

Sheets likely had RMD, it was most likely associated with her pre-existing connective tissue disease. The court denied her claim, finding that she failed to establish a reliable medical theory of causation (Althen prong one) and that her condition was not caused by the vaccines but rather was a continuation or flare-up of her pre-existing autoimmune condition (Althen prong two).

The court also found that while symptom onset may have occurred closer to vaccination than respondent argued, it was not sufficient to overcome the deficiencies in the causation theory and the evidence suggesting her condition predated vaccination. The court denied entitlement to compensation.