Eugene Anthony Brown v. HHS - Twinrix, chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (2025)

On April 14, 2020, Eugene Anthony Brown filed a petition alleging that vaccines administered on May 18, 2017 caused chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. He was 19 years old and received Twinrix, influenza, inactivated polio, meningococcal MCV4P, and Tdap vaccines.

The record showed that a low platelet count had been incidentally found in 2015, before the vaccinations at issue. Three days after the May 2017 vaccines, his platelet count was 94 K/ul, leading to further monitoring and hospital care.

Petitioner's expert, Dr. Edwin Forman, proposed molecular mimicry and argued that a two-to-three-day onset could fit vaccine-caused ITP.

Respondent's experts, Dr. Michele Lambert and Dr.

Ross Kedl, argued that Mr. Brown more likely had long-standing inherited thrombocytopenia, that the onset interval was too short for molecular mimicry, and that his mild, stable platelet counts did not look like vaccine-induced ITP.

Special Master Thomas L. Gowen found that Mr.

Brown failed to establish a logical sequence of cause and effect and failed to show a medically acceptable onset interval for molecular mimicry. The decision emphasized that reported vaccine-induced ITP cases generally had later onset and more severe clinical courses requiring treatment.

Entitlement was denied and the case dismissed on December 16, 2025.