Linda Johnson v. HHS - Influenza, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and death (2025)

On March 9, 2023, Linda Johnson, as surviving spouse and legal representative of the estate of Joseph Johnson, Sr., filed a petition alleging that an influenza vaccination Mr. Johnson received on January 11, 2021 caused his death.

The decision identifies the alleged vaccine-related condition as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Respondent denied that Mr.

Johnson suffered any injury as a result of the flu vaccine and denied that his death was a sequela of allegedly vaccine-related acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The public decision is a stipulation decision and does not describe Mr.

Johnson's symptom onset, hospitalization, diagnostic testing, treatment, expert opinions, or date of death. On October 6, 2025, Special Master Herbrina D.

S. Young adopted the parties' stipulation and awarded $325,000.00 as a lump sum through counsel's IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to Ms.

Johnson. The corrected public version states that the decision was corrected on December 3, 2025 to include a corrected stipulation after an omitted page was discovered; the decision itself otherwise remained the October 6, 2025 decision.