Matthew J. Johnson v. HHS - Hepatitis A, small fiber neuropathy (2025)

Petitioner Matthew J. Johnson, age 37, received the hepatitis A/B vaccine (Twinrix) on March 18, 2015. He alleged that this vaccination caused him to develop small fiber neuropathy (SFN). Petitioner's medical records documented symptoms beginning approximately eight days post-vaccination, including joint pain, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, and altered temperature sensation in his extremities, consistent with SFN. Petitioner's treating neurologist, Dr. James Bobenhouse, and expert witness Dr. Marcel Kinsbourne opined that the Twinrix vaccine caused petitioner's SFN, theorizing an autoimmune response triggered by the vaccine, potentially through molecular mimicry, similar to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Dr. Kinsbourne cited medical literature suggesting SFN can be an immune-mediated disorder and that small nerve fibers can be targets for autoimmune attack, analogous to GBS. Respondent's expert, Dr. Vinay Chaudhry, opined that petitioner did not have SFN and that the vaccine did not cause his condition, arguing that SFN is not typically autoimmune and is not similar to GBS, and that petitioner's symptoms and test results were inconsistent with SFN. The Special Master, Thomas L. Gowen, found that petitioner established by a preponderance of the evidence that he suffered from SFN and that the Twinrix vaccine caused his condition. The Special Master relied on the clinical history, examinations, and expert opinions, particularly Dr. Kinsbourne's, finding the temporal relationship medically acceptable and the autoimmune theory plausible. The case was ruled entitled to compensation. Petitioner was represented by Richard Gage, P.C., and respondent by the U.S. Department of Justice. The decision date was January 23, 2025.