Chris Watson v. HHS - Influenza, left shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2025)

Chris Watson filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging he suffered a left shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) from an influenza vaccine received on October 2, 2020. The case was dismissed because Mr.

Watson failed to provide sufficient proof of the injury's severity, specifically that the residual effects lasted for more than six months after vaccination. While Mr.

Watson claimed his pain began the next day and never subsided, the medical records showed an initial complaint of left shoulder pain over a month after vaccination, with no attribution to the vaccine at that time. He received a lidocaine injection in his left shoulder a week later, but again did not relate the pain to the vaccination.

Approximately two months post-vaccination, he mentioned to his primary care provider that he wondered if the pain was from the flu shot, but no abnormalities were noted on examination, and no further treatment was recommended. There was then an eight-month gap in treatment for shoulder pain.

When he returned to care, his chief complaint was listed as left shoulder injury follow-up for SIRVA, but the examination revealed right arm pain, for which he was referred to physical therapy. Mr.

Watson later claimed this was a documentation error and that the pain was always in his left arm. However, the court found that the medical records did not sufficiently support his claim of ongoing symptoms for the required six-month period, particularly given the gaps in treatment and the conflicting notation of right arm pain.

Witness declarations from friends and co-workers were deemed insufficient to overcome the lack of corroborating medical evidence, especially concerning the critical six-month period following vaccination. Therefore, the court dismissed the claim for insufficient proof of severity.