Victor Velazquez v. HHS - Influenza, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2021)

Victor Velazquez filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on January 30, 2019, alleging he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) after receiving an influenza vaccine on October 20, 2017. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the petitioner sustained a SIRVA Table injury, denied that the vaccine caused the alleged shoulder injury or any other injury, and denied that his current condition was a sequelae of a vaccine-related injury.

Despite these denials, the parties filed a joint stipulation for settlement on March 4, 2021. The stipulation stated that the influenza vaccine is contained in the Vaccine Injury Table and that the petitioner sustained a SIRVA within the Table's time period.

Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran adopted the stipulation as the decision awarding damages.

Victor Velazquez was awarded $65,000.00 as a lump sum payment for all damages. The decision was issued on April 15, 2021.

The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, medical tests, treatments, or the mechanism of injury. Petitioner was represented by Bruce William Slane of the Law Office of Bruce W.

Slane, P.C., and respondent was represented by Jennifer Leigh Reynaud of the U.S. Department of Justice.