{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131-0","petitioner_identifier":"J.R.","is_minor":1,"age_at_vaccination":0.5,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"RotaTeq","vaccination_date":null,"condition_raw":"intussusception","condition_category":"other","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"denied","award_amount_usd":null,"decision_date":"2021-12-06","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T01:04:05.400547+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":null,"dose_number":3,"time_to_onset_days":14,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioners Rebecca and Timothy Reske alleged that the third dose of RotaTeq vaccine administered to their minor daughter, J.R., on or about December 20, 2016, caused her to develop intussusception, diagnosed on January 4, 2017. Petitioners presented a theory that the vaccine induced an acute immune response leading to hyperplasia of lymph nodes near the bowel or Peyer's patches, which then served as a lead point to trigger intussusception. The respondent argued that the Vaccine Injury Table only lists intussusception for the first two doses of rotavirus vaccine and that petitioners failed to establish causation for an off-Table claim. The Special Master, Christian J. Moran, reviewed epidemiological studies, including those by Escolano, Yih, Haber, and Koch, and found the weight of the evidence did not support a link between the third dose of RotaTeq and intussusception, noting that any increased risk was not statistically significant after the third dose. The Special Master found Dr. Sferra's medical theory unpersuasive due to its generality and lack of empirical support, failing to explain the mechanism by which the vaccine could cause hyperplasia or hypertrophy. The Special Master also found the temporal relationship of 13 days between the third dose and the onset of symptoms was not clearly established as appropriate for an off-Table claim, especially without a reliable medical theory. Petitioners failed to meet their burden of proof on all three prongs of the Althen test. The claim was denied on December 6, 2021. Attorneys for petitioners were Bridget McCullough and for respondent was Meghan Murphy.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2019-01-28","case_summary":"Rebecca and Timothy Reske, parents and natural guardians of J.R., a minor, filed a petition on January 28, 2019, seeking compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act. They alleged that the third dose of the RotaTeq vaccine administered to J.R. caused her to develop intussusception. J.R. was born in 2016 and received two doses of a rotavirus vaccine prior to her six-month well-baby appointment. At that appointment, she received a third dose of RotaTeq. Fourteen days later, J.R. began experiencing fussiness and vomiting. The following day, she was taken to an emergency department with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. An ultrasound confirmed intussusception, which was surgically repaired. Medical records from August 2018 indicated J.R. was developmentally normal. The petitioners argued that the third dose of RotaTeq caused J.R.'s intussusception, proposing a theory that the vaccine induced an immune response leading to hyperplasia of lymph nodes near the bowel, which then triggered the intussusception. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, argued that the Vaccine Injury Table only associates intussusception with the first two doses of the rotavirus vaccine and that the petitioners failed to establish causation for an off-Table claim. The Special Master reviewed numerous epidemiological studies presented by both parties. The studies relied upon by the petitioners included Murphy, Parashar, Escolano, and Kassim. The studies presented by the respondent included Yih, Koch, Haber, Lu, and Soares-Weiser. The Special Master found that the weight of the epidemiological evidence did not support a link between the third dose of RotaTeq and intussusception. Specifically, studies involving the older RotaShield vaccine were deemed less relevant. The Escolano study suggested a small increase in risk after the third dose, but this was not found to be statistically significant in other studies like Yih, Haber, and Koch. The Special Master also found Dr. Sferra's medical theory unpersuasive, noting it was overly general and lacked empirical support, essentially stating the vaccine caused the cause of intussusception without explaining how. The Special Master further found that the temporal relationship was not clearly established, as the primary risk window for intussusception following rotavirus vaccination is within the first week after the first dose, and the petitioners did not establish that a 13-day interval after the third dose was appropriate given the lack of a coherent medical theory. The Special Master concluded that the petitioners failed to meet their burden of proof for entitlement to compensation on all three Althen prongs and denied the claim. The decision was made on the record without an evidentiary hearing. Special Master Christian J. Moran issued the decision on December 6, 2021.","is_minor_inferred":1,"is_pediatric_broad":1,"special_master":"Christian J. Moran","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_name":"Bridget McCullough","petitioner_attorney_firm":"Muller Brazil, LLP","petitioner_attorney_location":"Dresher, PA","adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":null,"attorney_canonical_keys":"|bridget-mccullough|","firm_canonical_key":"muller-brazil","package_title":"RESKE et al v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131-0","title":"RESKE et al v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 9/20/2021) regarding 50 DECISION of Special Master. Signed by Special Master Christian J. Moran. (amb) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2021-12-06","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131-0/pdf","pdf_bytes":314181,"triage_decision":"keep","triage_reason":"docketText matches keep keyword 'decision of special master'","download_status":"ok","registry_pdf_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/pdf/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131-0"},{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00131-1","title":"RESKE et al v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 8/29/23) regarding 64 DECISION of Special Master - Fees Signed by Special Master Christian J. Moran. (jm) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2023-10-04","pdf_url":null,"pdf_bytes":null,"triage_decision":"skip","triage_reason":"fees-only decision (attorney compensation)","download_status":"skipped"}]}