Robin Lara Camacho Keja v. HHS - Influenza, Lupus, inflammatory arthritis, Serum-like Sickness, and Prurigo Nodularis (2021)

Robin Lara Camacho Keja filed a petition alleging that the influenza vaccine she received on October 17, 2014, caused her to develop Lupus, inflammatory arthritis, serum sickness, and Prurigo Nodularis. The petitioner's medical history revealed pre-existing lymph node issues and rheumatologic-like symptoms, including joint pain and swelling, prior to vaccination.

Following vaccination, she reported symptoms such as lymph node enlargement, facial swelling, and edema. The petitioner's expert, Dr.

Zizic, opined that the flu vaccine could cause spondyloarthropathy in susceptible individuals through altered peptide processing. However, the respondent's experts, Dr.

Rose and Dr. Fujinami, disputed this theory, arguing that the petitioner's symptoms predated vaccination, lacked sufficient diagnostic support for spondyloarthropathy, and that the proposed causation mechanisms were not biologically plausible.

The court found that the petitioner failed to establish that she suffered from spondyloarthropathy, noting that her symptoms were not definitively diagnosed as such and that her pre-vaccination medical history was more indicative of lymph node issues and chronic venous insufficiency. The court also found that the petitioner's expert's causation theory was not persuasive and lacked sufficient support from the medical literature and the record.

The court concluded that the petitioner did not preponderantly establish that the flu vaccine caused her alleged injuries or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition. Therefore, entitlement was denied, and the claim was dismissed.