Shelle Johnson v. HHS - Influenza, transverse myelitis (2025)

On March 19, 2018, Shelle Johnson filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that the influenza vaccine she received on September 28, 2016, caused her to develop transverse myelitis (TM) and subsequent medical issues, including leg weakness, numbness, and tingling. Petitioner's initial symptoms of fatigue in her legs began approximately two days after vaccination.

She was hospitalized and underwent extensive medical evaluation, with differential diagnoses including spinal cord injury (SCI) and TM. Despite her treating physicians' inability to reach a definitive diagnosis and some recommending she avoid future flu vaccines, the medical records at crucial points noted probable SCI.

Petitioner's counsel was Courtney Christine Jorgenson of Siri & Glimstad, LLP. Respondent's counsel was Nina Ren of the United States Department of Justice.

Special Master Herbrina D.S. Young reviewed the case.

Petitioner's expert, Dr. Peter-Brian Andersson, opined that the flu vaccine caused TM through molecular mimicry.

Respondent's experts, Dr. Dara Jamieson and Dr.

Thomas Forsthuber, argued that Petitioner's condition was more consistent with SCI and that the evidence did not support a causal link between the flu vaccine and TM. The Special Master found that Petitioner failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that she suffered from TM, nor that the vaccine caused her condition.

Specifically, the Special Master found the temporal relationship between vaccination and symptom onset was too short to be medically acceptable for vaccine-induced TM via molecular mimicry. Therefore, Petitioner's claim was denied.