Vaccine Reactions

Vaccines are usually a source of reassurance, but in rare cases they can lead to catastrophic injuries and even death. Victims of serious vaccine reactions and their families face life-changing challenges in these tragic situations.

Fortunately, you can seek compensation if you or your loved one is a victim of vaccine injury or death. In fact, the federal government has its own specialized legal claim filing process.

In 1988, the U.S. federal government established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). The NVICP is an alternative to the traditional system of bringing a lawsuit. Instead of a jury hearing the case, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims determines the compensation.

Many, but not all vaccine injuries, are covered by the NVICP. Two compensable examples include:

• Seasonal influenza vaccine has been associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) on rare occasions. GBS is an immune-mediated nerve disorder that causes muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, pain, respiratory failure, and sometimes, paralysis or death. Recovery takes several months and can result in lasting disability. Influenza vaccines also have been associated with potentially fatal anaphylaxis or widespread and disfiguring rashes like toxic epidermal necrolysis. 
  
  
• Childhood vaccines including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and vaccines containing pertussis (DTP, DTaP, P, and DTP-Hib) have been associated with encephalopathy, or brain injury, that may cause seizures and other neurologic symptoms.