Court Opinion

ID: 5669064
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-01-12 14:01:08.416058+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:39:32.120754
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 19-1632V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

 LIDIA VEGA,                                                Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: December 9, 2021
 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.

David A. Kleczek, Kleczek Law Office, Oakland, CA, for Petitioner.

Mitchell Jones, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

       On October 21, 2019, Lidia Vega 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”) as
a result of her October 22, 2016 influenza (“flu”) vaccination. See Petition at ¶ 7. Petitioner
further alleges that the vaccine was administered within the United States, that she
suffered the residual effects of her injury for more than six months, and that there has
been no prior award or settlement of a civil action on her behalf as a result of her injury.
See Petition at ¶¶ 2, 8 - 10. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the
Office of Special Masters.

1 Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 section references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
       On December 3, 2021, 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 indicates that

        [m]edical personnel at the Division of Injury Compensation Programs,
       Department of Health and Human Services (“DICP”), have reviewed the
       petition and medical records filed in the case. It is respondent’s position that
       petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table
       (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation (“QAI”).

Id. at 5 (citing42 C.F.R. §§ 100.3(a)(XIV)(D), 100.3(c)(15).

       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