Kathryn Nelson v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barré syndrome (2025)

Kathryn Nelson, an 80-year-old woman, filed a petition alleging Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) caused by an influenza vaccine received on October 21, 2015. The court found that Ms.

Nelson's GBS symptoms, specifically back pain, began on the same day as her vaccination, which does not meet the Table requirement of onset between 3 to 42 days post-vaccination. Furthermore, the court determined that Ms.

Nelson failed to establish causation-in-fact, concluding that her GBS was more likely caused by a Campylobacter jejuni infection, supported by her positive C. jejuni antibody test and gastrointestinal symptoms. While acknowledging that GBS can be a vaccine side effect, the court found the evidence did not substantiate a logical sequence of cause and effect between the flu vaccine and Ms.

Nelson's GBS, nor did her treating physicians definitively attribute her GBS to the vaccine. Consequently, the petition was denied.