Tina Sylva v. HHS - Tdap, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2025)

Petitioner Tina Sylva filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on June 25, 2025. She alleged that she received a tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine on March 11, 2021, and subsequently sustained a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), as defined in the Vaccine Injury Table.

Petitioner further alleged that the Tdap vaccine caused her shoulder injury and that she suffered residual effects for more than six months. The respondent denied that Petitioner sustained a SIRVA Table injury, denied that the vaccine caused her alleged injury or any other injury, and denied that her current condition was a sequela of a vaccine-related injury.

On June 25, 2025, the parties filed a joint stipulation for compensation. Chief Special Master Brian H.

Corcoran found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the decision. Petitioner was awarded a lump sum of $12,000.00 for all items of damages available under Section 15(a) of the Vaccine Act.

This award was to be paid via ACH deposit to Petitioner's counsel's IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to Petitioner. The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, clinical details of the injury, diagnostic tests, treatments, or expert witnesses.

Petitioner was represented by Bruce William Slane of the Law Office of Bruce W. Slane, P.C., and Respondent was represented by Debra A.

Filteau Begley of the U.S. Department of Justice.