Nicole Abrams-Kelly v. HHS - Influenza, hearing loss (2020)

Nicole Abrams-Kelly filed a petition on November 15, 2019, alleging she suffered hearing loss as a result of an influenza vaccination administered on December 10, 2018. The case was reassigned to Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey.

Petitioner filed various documents and medical records, including a discharge summary from September 25, 2019, for left ear pain and fever, where she was diagnosed with Acute Serous Otitis Media and Otitis Externa. She reported her earache had been an ongoing issue since December 2018 and attributed it to exposure to mold.

Medical records also showed prior flu vaccinations in 2014 and 2016. During a status conference on September 10, 2020, it was noted that petitioner had not provided proof of the 2018 vaccination or evidence that her alleged hearing loss was vaccine-related, with medical records suggesting mold exposure as the cause of ear pain.

Despite an Order to Show Cause requiring evidence of vaccination and a vaccine-related injury, petitioner failed to provide such proof. Consequently, the case was dismissed for failure to prosecute and insufficient proof, as there was no evidence of vaccination or a vaccine-related injury.