Monica Godoy v. HHS - Influenza, left retinal tear and detachment (2023)

Monica Godoy filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on August 26, 2021, alleging she suffered a left retinal tear and detachment from flu vaccines received on October 17, 2018, and October 9, 2019. The respondent filed a report stating that entitlement should be denied, as the petitioner had not presented a medical theory causally linking the vaccinations to her injury, nor had she shown a logical sequence of cause and effect.

The respondent also noted that the petitioner's symptoms of eye floaters were present before the October 2018 vaccination, and none of her treating physicians causally related the vaccinations to her retinal detachments. After several extensions of time to allow the petitioner to determine how she wished to proceed, Ms.

Godoy filed a motion to dismiss her petition on June 12, 2023. She stated that an investigation of the facts and science supporting her case demonstrated she would be unable to prove entitlement to compensation.

The Special Master granted the motion, dismissing the petition and ordering that judgment be entered accordingly, as there was insufficient evidence in the record for the petitioner to meet her burden of proof.