Theo Rogan v. HHS - HPV, alopecia areata (2025)

On December 8, 2017, Jonathan Rogan filed a petition on behalf of his minor child, Theo Rogan, alleging that Theo developed alopecia areata after receiving a 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccination on October 17, 2016. Theo was 14 years old at vaccination.

After he reached majority, the caption was amended to proceed in Theo's name. The medical record showed that Theo had a history of atopic dermatitis, allergies, eczema, and other skin complaints before vaccination.

He had not previously experienced alopecia. By November 9, 2016, records noted loss of eyelashes on the right upper eyelid, and his mother reported vitiligo around the same period.

In late December, his mother called the pediatrician because scalp hair was falling out. On February 14, 2017, treating dermatologist Dr.

Jill Javahery diagnosed alopecia areata after finding scalp, eyebrow, and eyelash hair loss with classic clinical features such as discrete non-scarring patches and exclamation point hairs. Treatment included topical and injected steroids, Latisse, and continuing dermatology care.

A pediatric record later listed alopecia as an allergic reaction to HPV vaccine and advised against further HPV doses. Petitioner relied on immunologist Dr.

M. Eric Gershwin and treating dermatologist Dr.

Javahery. Dr.

Gershwin described alopecia areata as an autoimmune disorder involving loss of hair follicle immune privilege and CD8+ T-cell attack, and proposed that HPV vaccination could trigger that process through antigenic stimulation and molecular mimicry in a susceptible host. He relied on literature discussing vaccine-associated hair loss, HPV infection and alopecia areata, COVID-vaccine alopecia reports, and two pediatric HPV-vaccine hair-loss case reports with worsening after later doses.

Dr. Javahery emphasized that Theo had no prior hair loss or established autoimmune disease, disputed the significance of an earlier non-dermatologist psoriasis notation, and supported a temporal immune trigger from the HPV vaccine.

Respondent's experts, Dr. Maryanne Senna, Dr.

Stephen Tompkins, and Dr. Andrew Krakowski, agreed that alopecia areata is autoimmune but disputed vaccine causation.

They pointed to Theo's atopy, allergies, possible psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, vitiligo, upper respiratory infections, and family autoimmune history as alternative explanations, and argued that the literature did not reliably establish HPV vaccine causation. On September 2, 2025, Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey found Theo entitled to compensation.

She found that petitioner had presented a reliable medical theory, that Theo's clinical sequence fit that theory, and that onset within weeks of vaccination was medically acceptable. She gave weight to the treating dermatologist's opinion and found respondent's alternative-cause arguments insufficiently proven.

A separate damages order was to follow. Theo was represented by Lisa Roquemore.