Christine Davidson v. HHS - Influenza, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2024)

Christine Davidson filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) caused by an influenza vaccine she received on October 19, 2019. The respondent conceded that her claim met the Table criteria for SIRVA and that she satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation.

Entitlement was granted on August 4, 2022. The parties could not agree on the appropriate award for pain and suffering, leading to a damages briefing.

Davidson's medical records indicate she first reported severe left shoulder pain on December 4, 2019, which progressed over time, requiring physical therapy, steroid injections, and ultimately arthroscopic surgery. She sought treatment intermittently for approximately thirty months following her vaccination.

The court awarded Davidson $110,000.00 for pain and suffering and $2,354.19 for out-of-pocket expenses, for a total award of $112,354.19. The court found her injury to be mild-to-moderate in severity, citing periods of relief following treatment and comparing her case to prior SIRVA awards.