Court Opinion

ID: 4315746
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-09-26 20:02:13.937339+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:44:42.472236
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                                          OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                                                   No. 17-1320V
                                                               Filed: June 21, 2018
                                                                  UNPUBLISHED

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

                                         Respondent.

                                                                         
John Caldwell, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Sarasota, FL, for petitioner.
Linda Sara Renzi, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.
 
                                                               RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
       On September 25, 2017, Robert Malwitz (“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 he suffered Guillain-
Barre syndrome (“GBS”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine and pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine (“Prevnar-13”) administered to him on September 14, 2016. Petition
at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special
Masters.
       On June 21, 2018, 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 “petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in

                                                            
1
  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the
undersigned intends 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). 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, the undersigned agrees that the identified material fits
within this definition, the undersigned 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 recently revised Vaccine Injury Table (Table) and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation (QAI), which afford petitioner a presumption of causation if the onset of
GBS occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there
is no apparent alternative cause.” Id. at 6.
     In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
                                 s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                 Nora Beth Dorsey
                                 Chief Special Master