Jennifer Puckett v. HHS - Influenza, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (2024)

Jennifer Puckett, born in 1995, filed a petition for compensation on March 29, 2021, alleging that an influenza vaccine administered on November 12, 2018, caused her to develop Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). Ms.

Puckett was 17 years old at the time of the vaccination. She reported developing a rash two days after the vaccination and was admitted to Jackson Hospital with a concern for SJS.

Her treating physicians noted potential causes including the flu shot or a tuberculosis (PPD) skin test, which she also received on the same day. As her condition progressed, she was transferred to the University of Alabama Hospital, where she was treated for SJS.

The diagnosis of SJS was not disputed in the litigation. Ms.

Puckett submitted medical records, photographs of her condition, and several articles discussing vaccines and SJS. However, she did not provide an expert medical opinion to establish a causal link.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services argued that Ms. Puckett could not prove causation, noting the concurrent PPD test made it difficult to isolate the flu vaccine as the sole cause.

The Special Master, Christian J. Moran, reviewed the evidence, including numerous notes from treating physicians who commented on potential causes.

While some physicians attributed the SJS to the flu vaccination, others suggested the PPD test or were unclear. A dermatologist noted that the inciting medication was unclear and did not favor the PPD or influenza vaccine as causative at that time.

The Special Master noted that Ms. Puckett failed to provide a medical theory or expert opinion that persuasively distinguished the flu vaccine as the cause over the PPD test.

The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms beyond a rash developing over two days, nor does it detail all treatments or the specific mechanism by which the flu vaccine might cause SJS. Petitioner was represented by Laura J.

Levenburg, and respondent was represented by Nina Y. Ren.

Special Master Christian J. Moran issued a decision denying compensation on June 3, 2024, finding that Ms.

Puckett failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the flu vaccine caused her SJS, particularly because she could not isolate the vaccine as the cause over the PPD test. The case was litigated based on the existing record, with neither party requesting a hearing.

The decision was made publicly accessible.