Candy LaRue v. HHS - Influenza, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (2026)

Candy LaRue filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that she developed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) as a result of an influenza vaccine received on August 22, 2016. Respondent argued against compensation, asserting that Petitioner could not establish causation-in-fact.

The medical records indicated that Petitioner had a history of stage III chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed in 2010, which was significant for her medical history. Petitioner's alleged onset of CIDP symptoms was disputed, with Petitioner claiming an onset in September 2016 and Respondent pointing to medical records suggesting an onset in November 2016.

The court found that Petitioner failed to provide preponderant evidence that her CIDP symptoms began in September 2016, noting that while her witnesses described debilitating symptoms, there were no contemporaneous medical records to support this timeline until February 2017. The court also found that Petitioner's treating physicians consistently linked her CIDP to her CLL, and that the evidence did not establish a logical sequence of cause and effect showing the flu vaccine caused her CIDP.

The court concluded that Petitioner failed to satisfy the proximate temporal relationship prong and the but-for causation prong of the Althen test. Therefore, Petitioner's claim was denied.