Sonja Pearson v. HHS - Influenza, immediate allergic reaction (with associated symptoms thereafter including itching, hives, pains, aches, and muscle weakness) (2019)

Sonja Pearson, a 50-year-old woman, filed a petition on April 6, 2017, seeking compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. She alleged that she received an influenza vaccine on December 19, 2014, and experienced an immediate allergic reaction, including throat closing and breathing difficulties, within an hour of vaccination.

She sought emergency room treatment, where she was diagnosed with an allergic reaction and discharged with medication. In the months following vaccination, Pearson reported experiencing recurrent hives, itching, and muscle weakness, which she attributed to the vaccine.

She sought treatment from various physicians, including allergists and rheumatologists, over the next year. Pearson did not file an expert report but argued for causation based on medical literature regarding molecular mimicry and the bystander theory, and cited case reports of autoimmune responses to vaccines.

The respondent argued that Pearson failed to establish a reliable medical theory linking the vaccine to her alleged injuries and that the temporal relationship was not medically acceptable. Special Master Brian H.

Corcoran dismissed the claim on February 7, 2019, finding that Pearson failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the flu vaccine could cause the alleged sequence of injuries or that it actually did cause them. The Special Master noted the lack of expert testimony and the significant time lapse between the initial reaction and the onset of later symptoms.

The public decision does not describe the specific mechanism of the alleged reaction or the names of all treating physicians beyond those mentioned in the ruling. No award amount was granted as the claim was dismissed.