Deana Medina v. HHS - Influenza, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2023)

Deana Medina filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on December 11, 2020, alleging that she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) as a result of an influenza vaccine administered on October 17, 2019. She stated that the vaccine was administered in the United States, that her injury had residual effects for more than six months, and that she had not received any prior award or settlement for this condition.

The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that Petitioner sustained a shoulder injury as defined in the Vaccine Injury Table, denied that the vaccine caused her injury, and denied that her current condition was a sequelae of a vaccine-related injury. Despite these denials, the parties filed a joint stipulation on August 28, 2023, agreeing that compensation should be awarded.

Chief Special Master Corcoran found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the decision awarding damages. The court awarded Deana Medina a lump sum of $65,000.00, representing compensation for all items of damages available under Section 15(a) of the Vaccine Act.