Court Opinion

ID: 4527890
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-04-22 20:02:16.568516+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:17:24.740555
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-0277V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    DAISY MCCRAY,                                             Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: March 23, 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.

Jessica Olins, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Washington, DC, for petitioner.

Emilie Williams, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On February 21, 2019, Daisy McCray 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 the effects of Guillain-Barré
Syndrome (“GBS”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered to her on
September 28, 2017. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing
Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On March 23, 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 states that it is his “position that petitioner has satisfied

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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).
the criteria set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation…. That is, petitioner had bilateral flaccid limb weakness, decreased or
absent deep tendon reflexes, a monophasic illness pattern, a nadir of weakness which
occurred between 12 hours and 28 days after onset, a clinical plateau without significant
relapse, no more likely diagnosis, and an absence of exclusionary criteria.” Id. at 5-6.

       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

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