COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Harder to Get Compensation from Government Program

Those who suffer injuries or life-altering conditions from the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine will face difficulties getting vaccine injury payouts. The Wall Street Journal reporting COVID-19 vaccine injuries will be covered by what’s called the countermeasures vaccine injury compensation fund. It was set up 10 years ago to cover injuries from vaccines for a flu pandemic, or drugs to treat an Ebola or Anthrax outbreak.

This countermeasures program makes it harder to file claims than the existing National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). This established program is funded by a vaccine tax, paid by drug companies on each vaccination. Money is awarded to people who suffer an injury from common vaccines recommended for children or pregnant women and recently included conditions related to the seasonal flu vaccine.

People injured by the COVID vaccine who file claims can expect their compensation will be much lower than those paid by the vaccine injury fund (NVICP). Vaccine Injury lawyers and vaccine experts say the average claim under this countermeasures program is $207,000. The vaccine injury fund awards average more than double that at $585,000.

In the rush to develop a vaccine, serious injuries can affect some people in the vaccine trial. Many receiving the COVID-19 vaccines in these trials have experienced side effects like chills, fever, fatigue, and pain where they were injected.  Two vaccine trials were paused in the United States after participants developed illnesses. AstraZeneca/Oxford’s vaccine trial and Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine trial are both still shut down in the U.S. as scientists and regulators investigate.