National Vaccine Injury Compensation

Claims that cases of encephalopathy followed by permanent brain injury or death were due to measles immunization, submitted to the US National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, have been reviewed (SED-13, 920) (18). A total of 403 claims of encephalopathy and/or seizure disorders after measles, measles-rubella, measles-mumps-rubella, mumps, or rubella immunization were identified during the period 1970-93. The medical records of these cases were reviewed by physicians in the compensation program to determine, if possible, the cause of injury and the classification of the findings. The inclusion criteria established by the compensation program were met by... 

Weibel RE, Caserta V, Benor DE, Evans G. Acute encephalopathy followed by permanent brain injury or death associated with further attenuated measles vaccines a review of claims submitted to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Pediatrics 1998 101(3 Pt l) 383-7. 

In the USA, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program as a federal no-fault compensation system for individuals who may have been injured by specific vaccines. This compensation program relies on a Vaccine Injury Table that lists the vaccines that are covered by the program, as well as injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions (including death) for which compensation may be awarded. To better reflect current scientific knowledge about vaccine injuries, the Vaccine Injury Table was revised in 1995 and has been subsequently further modified. The latest modification, which became effective on December 1, 2004, is shown in Table 7. This revision took into account a review of the literature on specific adverse consequences of pertussis and rubella vaccines performed and published by the lOM (SED-12, 817) (SED-12, 825). In addition to the seven vaccines (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, and poliomyelitis) included in the first Vaccine Injury Table, the 1997 revision includes hepatitis B, Hemophilus influenzae type b, and Varicella vaccines, as well as any future licensed vaccine recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for routine administration to children (38). 

Ridgway, D. No-fault vaccine insurance Lessons from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. J. Health Polit. Policy Law 1999, Feb., 24 (1), 59-90. 

Mariner, W.K. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation program. Health Aff. (Millwood) 1992, Spring, 11 (1), 255-265. 

Weibel, R.E. Benor, D.E. Reporting vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis Concordance between the CDC and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Am. J. Public Health 1996, May, 86 (5), 734-737. 

The National Child Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 was passed by the U.S. Congress in response to reports of vaccine side effects and liability concerns of vaccine manufacturers and health care providers. With vaccine safety being questioned and manufacturers ceasing the development and marketing of vaccines, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was instituted to offer a no-fault alternative... 

US Department of Health and Human Services. National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Available at www.hrsa.gov/ospAiicp/ accessed January 27, 2004. 

The US Health Resources and Services Administration asked the Institute of Medicine (lOM) to review a list of adverse events associated with 8 of the 12 vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) ami to evaluate the scientific evidence about the event-vaccine relationship. The vaccines covered by VICP included all vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control ami Prevention (CDC) for routine administration in children. Adults who have an adverse event after one of these childhood vaccines also are covered by the program. 

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System Institute of Medicine of the National Academies... 

A possible solution might be to follow the example of the National Vaccine Injury Act of October 1988, where a trust fund was set up derived from an excise tax imposed on each vaccine. The funds, through an arbitration panel, are used to compensate persons injured by vaccination. It should be noted that a Drugs in Pregnancy Registry has been set up to follow up early embryonic exposure to the anticonvulsants and antiviral drugs... 

In response to continued concerns about vaccine safety, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury (NCVI) Act of 1986 established a no-fault compensation process for people injured by them. The NCVI also mandated that the Institute of Medicine (lOM) reviews scientific evidence of vaccine-related ADRs in children. In 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made changes to the NCVI, which lessened its usefulness. In response to the problems this generated, the Vaccine Injured Children s Compensation Act of 2001 was introduced in Congress.This bill, however, also has its problems, and in April 2001, the bill was referred to the House subcommittee on health, where it still... 

National compensation programs for vaccine-related injuries... 

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