Mary Maloney v. HHS - Pneumococcal, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (2022)

Mary Maloney, an 89-year-old woman, filed a petition on November 4, 2019, alleging that she suffered Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) as a result of a Prevnar 13 vaccine she received on July 7, 2017. Respondent argued against compensation.

Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey issued a ruling on March 17, 2022, finding that petitioner had provided preponderant evidence that her diagnosis was GBS and that the Prevnar 13 vaccine caused her GBS, satisfying the Althen criteria for causation. The Special Master determined that Maloney's diagnosis of GBS was supported by her clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and the opinions of her treating physicians and experts, specifically Drs.

Steven Sykes and Lawrence Steinman. The Special Master also found that the Prevnar 13 vaccine could cause GBS through molecular mimicry, a theory accepted in the Vaccine Program.

Maloney demonstrated a logical sequence of cause and effect, with her treating physicians noting an association between the vaccine and her GBS. Furthermore, the Special Master found no evidence of alternative causes for her GBS.

The temporal relationship between the vaccination and the onset of her symptoms, approximately one to two weeks post-vaccination, was deemed medically acceptable. Therefore, the Special Master ruled that Maloney is entitled to compensation, with a separate damages order to follow.

Petitioner was represented by Jeffrey S. Pop, and respondent was represented by Colleen Clemons Hartley.

The ruling was signed by Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey.