Vaccine injuries are real, and occur more common than most people realize. According to government data, each year, medical professionals report tens of thousands of vaccine injuries. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of these claims are considered serious, which means that thousands of people experience serious vaccine-related injuries every year.

Of course, when considering the number of vaccinations administered in the United States, any number in the thousands is still relatively low. In fact, according to the CDC, from 2006 to 2014 over 2.5 billion doses of covered vaccines were distributed in the United States.  For petitions filed in this time period, 3,451 petitions were adjudicated by the Court, and of those, 2,199 were compensated.  For more perspective, since 1988, over 16,958 petitions have been filed with the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Over that 27 year time period, 14,552 petitions have been adjudicated, with 4,637 of those determined to be compensable, with only 9,915 being dismissed.

Unfortunately, these statistics mean little to the individuals who have suffered serious, life-changing vaccine injuries. As these individuals know all too well, even if the likelihood of an injury is low, the risks of experiencing an injury remain a very real concern.  The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) acknowledges that vaccines can cause serious injuries, and even death.  It is important to know that the VICP has already awarded $3.3 billion in compensation to those who have been injured by vaccines. 

Most Common Vaccine-Related Injuries

Medical experts have been able to link certain types of injuries to specific vaccines.  Many of these injuries are listed on the Vaccine Injury Table. The Vaccine Injury Table is a non-exclusive list of vaccine injuries that are eligible for compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Some of these “on-table” injuries include:

In addition, there are several types of injuries that are now widely recognized as being caused by vaccines that are not listed on the Vaccine Injury Table. These “off-table” injuries include:

Finally, there are certain types of injuries that arise during vaccinations but are not linked to any individual vaccines. These include shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), which can occur when a vaccine is administered too high, too low or too deep into the shoulder.

Real-Life Examples of Vaccine Injuries

At Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates, our practice is devoted to helping individuals who have been harmed by vaccines recover compensation through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. As a result, we regularly meet and represent individuals who are living with the consequences of serious vaccine injuries. These recent case studies provide two real-life examples of what can happen when a vaccine causes someone harm: