Court Opinion

ID: 4522276
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-04-03 12:01:43.75411+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:25:23.792926
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1574V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    GEORGIE FLETCHER,                                         Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: March 2, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                              Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
                        Respondent.

Matthew F. Belanger, Faraci Lange, LLP, Rochester, NY, for petitioner.

Christine Mary Becer, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On October 10, 2018, Georgie Fletcher 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 developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”)
as a result of a November 3, 2015 influenza (“flu”) vaccine. Petition at 1. The case was
assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On March 2, 2020, 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 agrees that “petitioner suffered GBS following a flu
vaccine within the Table time period, and there is not a preponderance of the medical

1
  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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). This means the ruling 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.
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).
evidence that petitioner’s GBS was due to a factor unrelated to the vaccination.” Id. at
4. Respondent further agrees that the claim “meets the statutory severity requirements
because petitioner experienced sequelae of her GBS for more than six months . . . [and]
petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under the Act.” Id. at 5.

       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