Leah Durant | Vaccine Attorney - Vaccine Blog

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.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to recommend several vaccinations for children and adults. Childhood, teen and adult vaccination schedules are available on the CDC’s website, as are specific recommendations for age groups from birth to 60 years of age or older:

Errors during vaccination are among the leading causes of flu shot-related injuries. Reports of shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) have been on the rise in recent years; and, in an effort to reverse this trend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched an awareness campaign called, “Know the Site and Get it Right.”

We have previously discussed the rising prevalence of National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) claims involving shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). Now, a report from Washington D.C. NBC affiliate News 4 reveals that, “half of all the new [VICP] cases allege ‘shoulder injury resulting from vaccine administration,’ or SIRVA, and have little or nothing to do with what was in the syringe.”

“SIRVA,” or “shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration,” describes a set of injuries that are linked to errors during the vaccine injection process. These injuries are entirely unrelated to the ingredients of the vaccines being injected; instead, they result from improper administration such as inserting the needle too high on the arm or too deep into the shoulder.

For individuals diagnosed with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses, filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) can be an important step in the recovery process. The VICP provides financial compensation for claimants’ medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering; and, for many individuals, these are costs that they simply cannot endure on their own.