Joan Steede v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barré syndrome (2023)

Joan Steede filed a petition alleging that she suffered Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a condition listed on the Vaccine Injury Table, after receiving an influenza vaccine on September 25, 2019. She also received a Tdap vaccine on the same day, but did not allege a claim related to it.

The court noted that the record did not contain sufficient evidence to confirm that Ms. Steede was ever diagnosed with or treated for GBS, nor that her alleged illness was caused by the flu vaccine.

Consequently, the court issued an order directing Ms. Steede to show cause why her claim should not be dismissed due to insufficient proof.

In response, Ms. Steede moved for a decision dismissing her petition, acknowledging she would be unable to prove entitlement to compensation.

She stated that proceeding further would be unreasonable and a waste of resources, and that she intended to reject the program judgment to file a civil action. The court granted her motion, finding the record lacked sufficient medical records or opinions to establish her alleged GBS illness.

Therefore, Ms. Steede's claim was denied and the case was dismissed for insufficient proof, with judgment entered against her.