The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has received a total of 31 claims requesting compensation for individuals thought to be injured by the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. VICP has completed reviewing eight petitions and the eight cases were ruled non-compensable.

On December 22, 2009, VICP called a conference to review five petitions. At the conference, VICP reviewed the cases’ clinical charts, laboratory data, medical treatment, disease development, past medical history, related vaccine characteristics, relevant literature and clinical experiences to determine the cause of each case and the association between the H1N1 vaccine and the case. According to the report released by VICP, the five cases were not associated with the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine.

Case # 1 is a 3-year-old child who displayed asymmetry when smiling the day after receiving the pandemic H1N1 vaccine.The case was then diagnosed with facial nerve paralysis.The period between the onset of the disease and vaccination, which is about half a day, is too short and does not tally with the known amount of time for a neuroimmune response to the vaccine to occur.

Case# 2 is a 28-year-old woman who experienced headache, continuous tears in her right eye, incomplete right eye-lid closure, and the paralysis of right facial nerve the day after she received the pandemic H1N1 vaccine.When she sought medical attention at the hospital, she was diagnosed with right facial nerve paralysis.According to her result of virus indexing, her symptoms of facial nerve paralysis are likely a result of her own viral infection or a reactivation of her own viral infection.

Case# 3 is an 8-year old boy who developed fever, oral herpes (cold sore) and sore throat and sought medical attention at a clinic. Afterwards, he was referred to a hospital for further medical assistance. He was diagnosed with strawberry tongue, abdominal tenderness with rebound tenderness, and rash on the entire body. He was tested negative for influenza A by the rapid diagnostic test and he showed antibody response to pharyngeal Group A streptococci.He was then transferred to the intensive care unit for further treatment. He subsequently experienced respiratory distress, unstable blood pressure and tachycardia.He was intubated and put on extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).In the evening of the same day, he died.It was determined that the boy died of toxic shock syndrome due to group A streptococcal pharyngitis.

Case# 4 is a 12-year old girl who developed dizziness, nausea and chest tightness 10 minutes after vaccination. She was rushed to the emergency department on the same day.Relevant physical examination showed no abnormality.When her conditions improved after treatment and hospital retention, she was discharged from the hospital.Subsequently, she sought medical attention at a clinic when she experienced slight fever, headache, dizziness, and shoulder and knee pain.Since the case’s symptoms were all symptoms of needle shock, the case was ruled non-compensable.

Case# 5 is a 50-year old man.The case had a medical history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and end-stage renal disease and was on a regular weekly hemodialysis.About ten minutes after vaccination, he experienced numbness in the left side of his face. After resting briefly, he returned home.He went on his routine hemodialysis and did not experience any discomfort.Four days after vaccination, he experienced weakness in the left side of the body while getting hemodialysis.He was then rushed to the emergency department and placed in the in intensive care unit for treatment.His brain computed topographic (CT) scan showed right thalamic hemorrhage, brain hemorrhage, and acute hydrocephalus.The physician recommended surgical drainage and decompression.However, the family members declined the physician’s recommendation and signed a DNR (do not resuscitate) order. The case died.It was determined the case died of intracerebral hemorrhage based on his clinical symptoms.