Ebony Henderson v. HHS - Influenza, right shoulder/arm injury alleged as SIRVA (2026)

Ebony Henderson, an adult, received an influenza vaccination on October 13, 2019. She subsequently developed right arm and shoulder pain, which she attributed to the vaccination and claimed as a Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA).

The medical records indicated that Henderson had a history of right shoulder pain and other medical conditions prior to the vaccination. She also had a peripheral intravenous (IV) line placed in her right arm the day before the vaccination, and she reported pain associated with the IV insertion.

Henderson's treating physicians and medical records did not consistently attribute her symptoms to the flu vaccination, often suggesting alternative causes such as the IV insertion or deep venous thrombosis (DVT). While Henderson later reported her belief that the vaccination caused her symptoms, her medical providers did not agree, and she did not present an expert medical opinion to support her claim.

The Special Master found that Henderson did not meet the criteria for a Table SIRVA, nor did she establish causation-in-fact for an off-Table injury, concluding that her symptoms were more likely explained by the IV insertion and subsequent DVT. The case was dismissed for failure to meet the burden of proof.

Henderson filed a Motion for Review, which was also dismissed, primarily due to being untimely filed, but also on the merits, affirming the Special Master's decision that the evidence did not support a vaccine-related injury.