Court Opinion

ID: 4467842
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-12-26 21:02:01.459403+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:35:15.714507
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 18-1581V
                                    Filed: October 31, 2019
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    JENNIFER DURANT,

                        Petitioner,                          Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    v.                                                       Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                                             Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                  Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
    HUMAN SERVICES,

                        Respondent.

Ronald Craig Homer, Conway, Homer, P.C., Boston, MA, for petitioner.
Debra A. Filteau Begley, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Corcoran, Chief Special Master:

       On October 11, 2018, petitioner filed a petition for compensation under the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq., 2 (the
“Vaccine Act”). Petitioner alleges that she suffered Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”)
that was caused by an influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered on September 30, 2015.
Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of
Special Masters.

1
 I intend to post this decision on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website. This means the
decision will be available to anyone with access to the internet. In accordance with Vaccine Rule
18(b), petitioner has 14 days to identify and move to redact medical or other information, the disclosure of
which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy. If, upon review, I agree that the identified
material fits within this definition, I will redact such material from public access. Because this unpublished
decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required to post it on the United
States Court of Federal Claims' website in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002. 44 U.S.C. §
3501 note (2012) (Federal Management and Promotion of Electronic Government Services).
2
 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-660, 100 Stat. 3755. Hereinafter, for
ease of citation, all “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
        On October 29, 2019, respondent filed his Rule 4(c) report in which he concedes
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent has concluded that compensation is appropriate under
the Act in this case. Id. at 1. Respondent further agrees that petitioner has satisfied the
criteria set forth in the newly revised Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the
Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation for GBS following a flu vaccination. Id.

       In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, I find that
petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                   s/Brian H. Corcoran
                                   Brian H. Corcoran
                                   Chief Special Master

                                             2