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Vaccines are generally safe, but some people may suffer serious harm. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) was created to compensate those harmed by vaccines and provide an alternative to traditional lawsuits. The program is funded by the government and has a table listing vaccines and potential complications for which a person can claim compensation. To receive compensation, a person must prove the damage occurred within a specific time frame and file a claim within three years of injury.
In the vast majority of cases, vaccines work well in preventing disease and do not cause harmful side effects. Unfortunately, however, vaccines aren’t perfect and some people suffer serious harm after being administered. In fact, some people can have crippling or even fatal reactions to vaccinations. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is in place to both inform the public and help compensate those harmed by immunization shots.
The VICP was created in the late 80s to solve a serious problem. While most people may recognize the benefits of childhood vaccinations, there has been concern about rare instances of adverse effects from vaccinations. Vaccine makers have faced lawsuits when their vaccines have been implicated in medical problems. As a result, some manufacturers were becoming wary of continuing to produce immunization medicines due to the risk of lawsuits that could lead them to pay large sums to the families of injured children. The VICP was created to provide people with an alternative to traditional lawsuits, compensation for families that doesn’t come from the manufacturers, and some relief for the companies that make vaccines.
The creation of the VICP did not deprive a person’s right to sue a vaccine company. Instead, it gives people a chance to seek a no-fault means of redress. This program is funded by the federal government, which means that injured parties can get compensation from the government instead of going after vaccine makers.
The US Federal Claims Court is tasked with deciding who will receive compensation for problems caused by vaccines. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an online table that lists vaccines that are part of the VICP and a list of potential complications for which a person can claim compensation. Sometimes, a person may have a reaction to a vaccine that isn’t listed in the table. If so, the person or her family would need to prove that a vaccine caused her condition.
To receive compensation through VICP, a person must prove that the damage suffered occurred within the time frame indicated in the table. For example, if a person goes into anaphylactic shock within four hours of being injected with tetanus, there’s a good chance they’ll be eligible for compensation. A person can also get compensation by proving that a vaccine aggravated a pre-existing condition. There are deadlines for filing complaints; people must file claims within three years of injury from a vaccine. A person may file a claim on behalf of a deceased party up to two years after a fatal vaccination, as long as the claim is filed within four years after the deceased first experienced the vaccine-related symptom.
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