Charles Jeffrey Alston v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and/or Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) (2025)

Shirley Alston filed the petition on October 11, 2022 as executrix of the estate of Charles Jeffrey Alston. She alleged that an influenza vaccination administered to Mr.

Alston on October 17, 2019 caused Guillain-Barre Syndrome and/or Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, with residual effects lasting more than six months. The petition was brought for Mr.

Alston's estate, and the stipulation states that Mr. Alston died on February 2, 2021.

Petitioner did not allege that his death was a sequela of the vaccine-related injury. She was represented by Jeffrey S.

Pop of Jeffrey S. Pop & Associates.

Respondent denied that Mr. Alston's alleged GBS and/or CIDP or its residual effects were caused by the flu vaccine, and denied that the flu vaccine caused any other injury or his death.

The public stipulation does not describe Mr. Alston's first neurologic symptom, onset interval, diagnostic testing, hospitalization, treatment, rehabilitation, residual disability, or circumstances of death.

It also does not identify experts or explain a medical mechanism. The public story is therefore limited but important: after Mr.

Alston died, his estate pursued a vaccine-injury claim for a neurologic condition allegedly caused by the October 2019 flu vaccine, while expressly not alleging that the vaccine-related injury caused his death. The parties compromised the disputed GBS/CIDP claim by stipulation.

Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it on January 28, 2025.

The estate received $45,000.00 by check payable to Shirley Alston as executrix of the estate of Charles Jeffrey Alston. No payment could be made until documentation established the proper estate representative.