Hannah L. Steffens v. HHS - HPV, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (“POTS”), sleep apnea, and major depressive disorder (2023)

Hannah L. Steffens, through her parents initially, filed a petition on April 15, 2019, alleging that she suffered from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sleep apnea, and major depressive disorder as a result of receiving a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and a meningococcal vaccine (MCV) on July 21, 2016.

The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the vaccines caused or significantly aggravated Petitioner's alleged conditions and denied that her current disabilities were a sequela of a vaccine-related injury. Despite the respondent's denial, the parties reached a stipulation for an award of compensation.

The stipulation recommended that Hannah L. Steffens receive a lump sum of $6,300.00 for unreimbursed medical expenses, payable to Petitioner and Anne Steffens, and a lump sum of $43,700.00 for all other damages, payable to Petitioner.

The total award amounted to $50,000.00. Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey found the stipulation to be reasonable and adopted it as the decision of the Court, ordering judgment to be entered accordingly.

The decision was filed on April 3, 2023. Petitioner's counsel was Lawrence Gene Michel, and respondent's counsel was Mallori Browne Openchowski.

The public decision does not describe the onset of symptoms, specific clinical details, or any expert testimony.