ville FL ~Vaccine award brings parents slight solace

[Guest guest]

The Florida Times-Union

March 11, 2008

Vaccine award brings parents slight solace

By Pinkham,

The Times-Union

For and Hoiberg, the multimillion-dollar award they and

their daughter received from a national vaccine injury fund is a

bittersweet victory.

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The ville couple would much rather have 4-year-old Caitlyn

back the way she was before a common cocktail of childhood

immunizations left her brain-damaged and prone to seizures. Back

when she was a normally developing child with a growing vocabulary

and zero health problems. Caitlyn hasn't spoken a word since

receiving the shot two years ago and suffering a seizure the

following morning. Her left arm is partially paralyzed and she still

walks like a toddler. The family spent a nightmarish week in a

pediatric intensive care unit, as Caitlyn had multiple seizures and

slipped in and out of consciousness. " I told this might be

it, " Hoiberg said. " I thought she was dying. " In September, a

judge on the U.S. Vaccine Court in Washington - where all vaccine

injury cases are heard - made a rare finding that Caitlyn's injuries

were caused by the DTaP vaccine, which combines immunizations for

diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). DTaP is a common

child vaccine, regularly administered by pediatricians. The U.S.

Justice Department then settled the case for about $337,000 plus two

annuities in Caitlyn's name that are worth millions of dollars. The

exact amount depends upon her life span and future needs. The money

will come from a vaccine injury compensation program funded by a 75-

cent surcharge on all vaccinations in the country. " Everybody agreed

at the end of the day that the vaccine caused her injury, " said Alan

Pickert, the Hoibergs' attorney, who represents 56 other

ville-area families in Vaccine Court. Bob Harmon, director of

the Duval County Health Department, said the vaccine compensation

program was set up for infrequent cases like Caitlyn's. But those

cases are so rare, he said, " parents should not be concerned. " " On

the balance, the benefits of the vaccines greatly outweigh the

risks. There have been huge developments in child health because of

the vaccines, " Harmon said. " There are occasional rare complications

with any medical procedure. " Those type of explanations anger the

Hoibergs, who have not had either of their daughters vaccinated

since Caitlyn got sick. " That's something easy to say when it's not

your child, " Hoiberg said. Hoiberg never imagined how a

routine trip to the doctor would change her family's life. She had

taken her older daughter, , for the same shots and studied them

then. There were no complications. She remembers asking her

pediatrician about literature that made note of possible seizures,

and he told her he had never had a child react that way in 30 years

of practicing medicine. So when Caitlyn turned 19 months and it was

her turn, her mother, like most parents, thought of it as a

childhood rite of passage. " We're law-abiding citizens. If they say

to vaccinate, we vaccinate, " she said. But by the next morning,

Hoiberg knew something was terribly wrong. She remembers

checking on Caitlyn and finding her staring blankly, her left side

rigid. She called 911, and Caitlyn was taken to the hospital with

encephalopathy, a brain disease. said she immediately

suspected the vaccinations, but doctors tested her daughter

for " everything from mad cow disease to cat scratch fever. " " I've

never seen so many doctors so perplexed, " Hoiberg said.

Eventually, a neurologist at Nemours Children's Clinic identified

the DTaP vaccine as the cause. His testimony made the case easier to

prove and quicker to resolve than most vaccine injury claims,

Pickert said. He initially cautioned the Hoibergs that the case

could take eight years to resolve. " There are multiple people out

there who have vaccine-injured children, " Pickert said. " They don't

know they're vaccine-injured. They haven't connected the dots. "

Today, Caitlyn has made strides, but her parents have no idea what

the future holds. The vaccine award has allowed them to pay for

therapy and will ensure she is cared for the rest of her life. But

at best, her mother said, she'll probably always have to have an

attendant with her. Her parents urged others to educate themselves

about the risks of childhood vaccines. " You can't let fear run your

life, " Hoiberg said. " But it's not something to be taken

lightly. " paul.pinkham@..., (904) 359-4107

This story can be found on ville.com at

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-

online/stories/031108/met_255648501.shtml.