Leah Durant | Vaccine Attorney - Vaccine Blog

For individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses, securing financial compensation often involves filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). If you or a loved one has been diagnosed, here are seven key facts for you to know:

1. The NVICP is a Federal Government Program Created Specifically to Compensate Individuals Diagnosed with Vaccine Injuries

Congress established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) in 1988 for the sole purpose of providing a source of financial compensation for individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. The NVICP is funded by a tax on vaccines, and it offers a time and cost-efficient alternative to filing a traditional lawsuit against a healthcare provider or pharmaceutical company.

Every so often, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) makes changes to the Vaccine Injury Table. The HRSA has made a couple of major changes in recent years, adding Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) resulting from flu shots and shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) resulting from most of the “on-table” vaccines.

Recently, the HRSA announced that it is preparing to adopt another significant revision.

You got vaccinated, and now your shoulder hurts. Is your pain normal? Or, could it be a sign of a potentially-serious shoulder injury? Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) is among the most-common negative side effects of vaccinations, and can lead to enormous medical bills, loss of income, and chronic pain and suffering.

If you have been diagnosed with a form of SIRVA, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal government program that exists exclusively to help individuals who have been diagnosed with vaccine-related illnesses and injuries. Under the VICP, individuals diagnosed with SIRVA can recover financial compensation for their financial and non-financial losses; and, in many cases, proof of the cause of the injury is not required.

For individuals with questions about vaccines, Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are a good place to find reliable information. Vaccine Information Statements are documents published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that, “inform vaccine recipients – or their parents or legal representatives – about the benefits and risks of a vaccine they are receiving.

On March 14, 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced that it will not be recommending the flu shot over the nasal spray flu vaccine for the 2019-2020 flu season. This represents a reversal of the AAP’s position during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 flu seasons, when it recommended against use of the nasal spray vaccine due to its “poor effectiveness” in fighting the H1N1 flu strains. During the 2018-2019 flu season, the AAP took the position that the nasal spray should only be used as a “last resort” for children who could not be immunized via injection.

In May 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of a new immunization quality improvement program. The program, known as Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP), replaces the existing Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and eXchange (AFIX) program as of July 1, 2019. As the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend tetanus vaccinations for children and adults. Tetanus is a type of bacterial infection that can cause a wide range of symptoms, and that can potentially lead to fatal respiratory failure. The tetanus vaccine is generally considered safe for most people, and is specifically recommended for women who are pregnant. However, some vaccine recipients may experience severe allergic reactions, and cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and vaccine-related shoulder injuries have been reported as well.

Which Type of Tetanus Vaccination Do You Need?

The tetanus vaccine comes in four different forms, and the CDC recommends different forms for individuals in different age groups.

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims (also known as the Vaccine Court) is on pace to issue a record number of awards under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) in 2019. As of June 1, the Vaccine Court has issued 404 awards to vaccine recipients, totaling nearly $145 million in compensation. If the rate of awards continues, 2019’s total will surpass the previous one-year high, which was 706 awards in 2017.

Each year, hundreds of people seek financial compensation for vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. Many more suffer injuries and illnesses that are never reported; and, as researchers continue learn more about the risks associated with different types of vaccinations, more types of injuries and illnesses are being recognized as vaccine-related.

There are two primary ways that vaccine recipients can experience complications from their immunizations: (i) adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients, and (ii) errors during vaccine administration.

1. Adverse Reactions to Vaccine Ingredients

Individuals who experience adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients can face a variety of medical consequences.

Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) choose the specific strains to be targeted with the annual flu shot based upon an examination of thousands of influenza virus samples collected from patients worldwide. The selection process is not easy, and the challenges involved in choosing the most-effective formulation of the flu vaccine in any given year are largely to blame for the flu shot’s limited effectiveness in recent years.

Now, however, scientists may have found a more-effective way to choose vaccines for future seasons. Using new “HINT” technology, scientists believe that it may now be possible to better identify the flu strains that most likely to infect people year to year.

The 25th annual National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) took place from April 27 to May 4, 2019. But, while this year’s National Infant Immunization Week may be over, the resources used to promote immunization safety during NIIW are available year-round, and they provide useful information for parents and health care providers.