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Vaccine Injury Compensation

Vaccines are among the safest and most cost-effective tools for preventing serious illness today.  As with all products, they are sometimes associated with occasional mild adverse events and on rare occasions with severe complications.

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-660) established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).  The VICP, which went into effect in 1988, is a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system designed to provide compensation to care for individuals injured by childhood vaccines, whether administered in the private or public sector.  Since its inception, the VICP has been a key component in stabilizing the U.S. vaccine market by providing liability protection to both vaccine manufacturers and providers, by encouraging research and development of new and safer vaccines, and by providing for a more streamlined and less adversarial alternative to the traditional tort system for resolving vaccine injury claims. 

This section provides background information about the VICP, discusses how it operates, and identifies the vaccines and adverse reactions covered under the program.

Overview of VICP  www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/vicp

Vaccine Injury Table www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/vicp

How to file a claim http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/vicp/dvicprog.htm

Last revised: January 2, 2004

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