Brian Vastag

Brian Vastag is a journalist, previously with the United States The Washington Post, advocate, and person living with ME/CFS.

Career
When the National Institutes of Health announced in late 2015 they would be increasing funding for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Francis Collins called a number of advocates including Brian Vastag to break the news.

In 2015 he confirmed his latest project was contributing to a new edition of The Science Writers' Handbook.

In 2012, he was a News Winner of the David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism for his article, “For Virginia’s fault zone, an event of rare magnitude,” published 23 August 2011 in The Washington Post about an earthquake near Washington, D.C.

ME/CFS disability claim
On May 31, 2018, the United States District Court of New Jersey in Brian Vastag v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, Civ. No. 15-6197 (KSH), (CLW), awarded Mr. Vastag both short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) noting "the plan administrator improperly denied him STD and LTD benefits payable under the plan".

Brian was able to prove his post-exertional malaise (PEM) was a severe symptom causing disability with a Two-day cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). qEEG and cognitive tests revealed he had "significant problems with visual perception and analysis, scanning speed, attention, visual motor coordination, motor and mental speed, memory, and verbal fluency."

Online presence

 * Facebook - Brian Vastag Washington Post
 * LinkedIn - Brian Vastag

Learn more

 * 2018, The medical community is changing its mind on chronic fatigue syndrome. Why aren't insurers? - Stat News, Steven Lubet and David Tuller


 * 2015, "I’m disabled. Can NIH spare a few dimes?" - Washington Post
 * 2015, The Tragic Neglect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Olga Khazan - The Atlantic
 * Jun 4, 2018, Victory For ME Disability Claim – U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff's Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability - #ME Action
 * Washington Post - Brian Vastag