The Vaccine Injury Fund Has Paid Out Over $1.18 Billion since 1988

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Vaccine injuries do exist. The Hannah Polling Autism claim was found to be deserving of a settlement by the Federal Vaccine Court: If you believe that the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund exists, that you should also believe that vaccine injuries exist.

Autism Settlement Precedent Blames Vaccines Mar 6, 2008 ... The case of Hannah Poling was determined to be deserving of a settlement by the federal vaccine court. The U.S. Department of Health and ...

In leaked documents from the settlement of an autism claim, federal health officials have concede for the first time that a 9-year-old Georgia girl was damaged by childhood vaccines.

The case of Hannah Poling was determined to be deserving of a settlement by the federal vaccine court.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conceded the case in this November 9, 2007 document that journalist David Kirby posted on the Huffington Post.

The DOJ has a fund to compensate those deemed to have suffered a vaccine injury

About the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

The VICP is a program designed to encourage childhood vaccination by providing a streamlined system for compensation in rare instances where an injury results from vaccination.

Over the past 12 years, the VICP has succeeded in providing a less adversarial, less expensive and less time-consuming system of recovery than the traditional tort system that governs medical malpractice, personal injury and product liability cases. More than 1,500 people have been paid in excess of $1.18 billion since the inception of the program in 1988.

Individuals who believe they have been injured by a covered vaccine can file a claim against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims seeking compensation from the Vaccine Trust Fund. The Department of Justice (DOJ), which represents HHS, consistently works to ensure that fair compensation is awarded in every case that meets the eligibility criteria. If found eligible, claimants can recover compensation for related medical and rehabilitative expenses, and in certain cases, may be awarded funds for pain and suffering and future lost earnings. Often, an award is more than $1 million. By protecting the Trust Fund against claims by those who have not suffered a vaccine-related injury, DOJ helps to preserve the Fund for future deserving claimants. Regardless of a claimant’s success under the Program, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs are paid.

Vaccines covered under the program include those that protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), and polio. The program continues to evolve consistent with medical science, and recently, HHS expanded coverage to four new vaccines: hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), Hemophilus influenzae type b, and rotavirus; pneumococcal vaccine will soon be covered, too

From Find Law's website:

Overview of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP)

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-660) established the VICP. The VICP, which went into effect in October 1988, is a no-fault alternative to the tort system designed to compensate individuals injured by childhood vaccines, whether administered in the private or public sector. Vaccines currently covered under the Program include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis DTP, DTaP, DT, TT or Td, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR or any components). and polio (OPV or IPV). Effective August 6, 1997, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza type b, and varicella vaccines have been added for coverage under the Program. Eight years' retroactive coverage from the effective date will be provided for vaccine-related adverse events associated with these three new vaccines.

The VICP is a critical component to the national immunization strategy. In its 9 years of existence, the VICP has met its policy goals of ensuring vaccine supply, stabilizing vaccine costs, and establishing an accessible forum for individuals injured by childhood vaccines.

Program Statistics

As of July 31, a total of 5,169 claims have been filed with the VICP. Of note, 84% of the backlog of Pre-1988 claims have been fully adjudicated, and all remaining Pre-1988 claims are in the adjudication process. 73% of all claims filed are for DTP, 14% for MMR or components, 10% for OPV/IPV, 1% for DT, TT or Td, and 2% for vaccines not covered under the VICP or unspecified vaccines. Awards have ranged from $120.00 to $7.5 million. The average injury award since the inception of the VICP for both Pre-1988 and Post-1988 claims is $690,037. Awards for death cases are capped at $250,000 plus attorneys' fees/costs.

from Findlaw.com.

Shouldn't we be doing everything we can to eliminate or reduce vaccine injuries? Don't we want a vaccine program that we can trust?

[flyingobject]

1. Autism

[MannyGoldstein]

6. That Describes Most Engineers I Know

Calm down, I'm an engineer myself.

[katandmoon]

2. What about pets? My beloved cat died from VAS (vaccination associated sarcoma).

One of the vets who treated her told me that you should have your vet give your cat her vaccination at the tip of her tail. That way if she develops a malignant tumor at the vaccination site, it has a better chance of being detected, and the tail can be amputated before the cancer has a chance to spread.

WTF kind of industry makes you choose between having your cat vaccinated against rabies, distemper and feline leukemia only to die from VAS, or not being vaccinated at all (and thereby breaking local rabies vaccination laws, and foregoing vet treatment for other problems, since vets won't treat your cat if their vaccinations aren't up to date)?

The pet vaccination industry, that's what.

Yes, I know this top is about people, but I don't have children.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. thank you - I have pets too

and I noticed that my dog developed a lump where her rabies shot was given to her.
It seems to be stable though (shwooow).

As for the feline leukemia vaccine, I had that given to one new cat when the cat was
allowed inside and out. But I am no fan of over doing it.

Vaccine-associated sarcoma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A vaccine-associated sarcoma (VAS) is a type of malignant tumor found in cats (and rarely, dogs and ferrets) that has been linked to certain vaccines. VAS has become a concern for veterinarians and cat owners alike and has resulted in changes in recommended vaccine protocols. These tumors have been most commonly associated with rabies and feline leukemia virus vaccines, but other vaccines and injected medications have also been implicated.<1>

VAS was first recognized at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991.<2> An association between highly aggressive fibrosarcomas and typical vaccine location (between the shoulder blades) was made. Two possible factors for the increase of VAS at this time were the introduction in 1985 of vaccines for rabies and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) that contained aluminum adjuvant, and a law in 1987 requiring rabies vaccination in cats in Pennsylvania.<3> In 1993, a causal relationship between VAS and administration of aluminum adjuvanted rabies and FeLV vaccines was established through epidemiologic methods, and in 1996 the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force was formed to address the problem.<4>

In 2003, a study of ferret fibrosarcomas indicated that this species also may develop VAS. Several of the tumors were located in common injection sites and had similar histologic features to VAS in cats.<5> Also in 2003, a study in Italy compared fibrosarcomas in dogs from injection sites and non-injection sites to VAS in cats, and found distinct similarities between the injection site tumors in dogs and VAS in cats. This suggests that VAS may occur in dogs.<6>

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

15. interesting the vets suspect aluminum adjuvant as problem in 2 of the vaccines

Two possible factors for the increase of VAS at this time were the introduction in 1985 of vaccines for rabies and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) that contained aluminum adjuvant, and a law in 1987 requiring rabies vaccination in cats in Pennsylvania.<

[trotsky]

3. Keep throwing up those strawmen.

Maybe someday, someone will hold the position that vaccines don't cause any injuries, and you can have it out with them. The rest of us understand that like with any medical treatment (and even "natural" ones), it's just about impossible to have no risk of injury. Do we work to minimize them? Of course. But to expect zero risk is unreasonable.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. No Therapy Can Ever Be 100% Safe

Vaccines have harmed some people - but they have saved the lives of many, many more. Life expectancy has gone up by more than 15 years since 1950, and vaccines have a lot to do with this.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. Would you support making vaccines safer for more of our children?

I want vaccines to help, not harm, and I do not accept that its ok that some people's children
are harmed this way.

Further, as long as the connections can be made by parents who have injured children,
people will have reason to NOT trust vaccines.

If you want people to trust vaccines, then make them safer.

First rule of medicine - DO NO HARM.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. I'd Like Them To Be Safer

But they are already very, very safe.

"Do no harm" is part of the hippocratic oath, but it is not reality. Is a treatment kills one person for every 10,000 it saves, then it is a good bargain and it will be used. Medicine is really the art and science of weighing the tradeoffs of various therapies to solve a problem.

[kimmerspixelated]

12. Absolutely!

Hippocratic oath!...Also Hippocrates said, Let food be thy medicine, and I don't think there is anything edible about a vaccine!!!!!

[flyingobject]

34. Gotta get the cronies out of the FDA

Gotta get rid of the conflicts of interest,
Remove relatives of Big Pharma from the oversight agencies,
Do not let those who profit from FDA decisions have any position at FDA.

[kimmerspixelated]

10. I would like to respectfully disagree with you.

Although I don't have links or access to what I've previously read, there is a lot more to account for longevity than vaccines. Better sanitation has increased worldwide and that simple measure dramatically effects disease in general. Even MS doctors will always say, "the best defense is hand-washing."

[MannyGoldstein]

13. We Had Good Sanitation In The US Well Before 1950

But we also had high rates of children dying. Of my father's 5 siblings, two died during childhood (1920s). At least one of those would have almost certainly lived if he'd had been vaccinated as children are today.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. the argument isn't against vaccination - its about making them safer and preventing harm

No one here has said get rid of vaccinations, or don't get them.

The issue is that we have greatly increased the number of vaccs that children,
CHILDREN get.

Infants get hit hard.

Some Drs are giving vaccs to children who are already sick, even though they shouldn't.

There needs to be research into vaccines and environment, and it must not be done
by any agency or Dr.s who have a financial interest or employment interest in the
outcome of the research.

Even then, research and studies should continue to be done, as new findings are made,
and as vaccines and other medicines change.

[trotsky]

20. You really need to try and grasp one fundamental point.

No medicine, no herb, no treatment, no vaccine will EVER be 100% safe and effective. Sorry, it just ain't gonna happen. This is not a conspiracy, it's a simple fact of nature. I know that all you want to do is scream and yell at (and then ignore) the people who try to reason with you, but you've GOT to come to grips with reality here or you'll never find peace.

[kimmerspixelated]

7. This is important info!

Thanks for posting it. I believe there will be far more claims when folks begin to educate themselves, and realize that maybe they don't have to constantly vaccinate! What will bring the costs down is when folks take a more holistic approach to health. But I don't want to begin a flame war, or to be called a anti-vaccine "Nutter"!

[trotsky]

21. If you are encouraging people not to vaccinate,

then you are an anti-vaccine nutter. Unless enough people vaccinate, those who cannot will be at significant risk. We as a society assume a shared risk to protect the most vulnerable among us - but people like you want to opt out of the social contract. Mooch off of others who take the risk for you.

[kimmerspixelated]

25. You are being awfully insulting .

Since I don't really know you, I wouldn't dream of crossing the line of respectability you just crossed with me.

[trotsky]

27. Anyone who suggests that people shouldn't vaccinate...

crossed a line of respectability WAAAAAY more significant than that. But your outrage is duly noted.

[beam me up scottie]

26. I think Pro Infectious Disease Crusaders is a better fit.

The concept of herd immunity is lost on them.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

36. Sadly, some blindly trust Big Pharma (drug co's with $3 Billion + revenue) to police themselves

and the same that trust these big drug giants also
oppose research into making vaccines safer.

Its as if science doesn't exist - the Pharma mantra of -
"move along, its been studied enough"

Oh that was used by Big Tobacco too, and doctors were found to play
into it and agree with Big Tobacco.

Big Pharma controls the medical journals, the FDA and CDC by $$$$.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

37. "On Vaccinations: Consider the Source and Follow the Money"

On Vaccinations: Consider the Source and Follow the Money

Huffington Post, NY - Feb 11, 2009
Last year, government officials conceded the vaccine injury claim of a young girl with autism named Hannah Poling and agreed that the family is "entitled to ...

...In his recent Huffington editorial, Offit continues his attack on worried parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, or even just spread them out a little, which the CDC says is okay to do. He blames them for the relatively small outbreaks of childhood diseases. In this case, last year's 135 cases of measles.

...According to a 2008 study, it is Dr. Offit who might be "mistaken" when he claims vaccines don't cause diabetes. Vaccine Induced Inflammation Linked to Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, published in the Open Endocrinolgy Journal.

shows a 50% reduction of type 2 diabetes occurred in Japanese children following the discontinuation of a single vaccine to prevent tuberculosis.
The current data shows that vaccines are much more dangerous than the public is led to believe and adequate testing has never been performed even in healthy subjects to indicate that there is an overall improvement in health from immunization. The current practice of vaccinating diabetics as well as their close family members is a very risky practice," says Dr. J. Barthelow Classen.

...Just last month the US government's Court of Federal Claims, also known as "vaccine court," rendered a judgment awarding compensation to a woman who received the hepatitis B vaccine, developed multiple sclerosis and then died. Several more similar cases have been awarded since 2006.

...Former NIH Director, Dr. Bernadine Healy, made this very important point abundantly clear when interviewed by CBS News.

I think the government, or certain public health officials in the government, have been too quick to dismiss the concerns of these families without studying the population that got sick. I haven't seen major studies that focus on three hundred kids who got autistic symptoms within a period of a few weeks of a vaccine. I think that the public health officials have been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational without sufficient studies of causation. I think that they often have been too quick to dismiss studies in the animal laboratory, either in mice, in primates, that do show some concerns with regard to certain vaccines and also to the mercury preservative in vaccines.

...more here at the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deirdre-imus/on-vaccinations-consider_b_165347.html

[PM Martin]

9. Interesting.

To all of those deniers out there, this is proof that the government concedes that vaccines do cause harm in some cases.
The pertussis is a piece of crap.

[snappyturtle]

14. Yes, I think we should be doing everything we can to at the very least

keep this subject in the forefront. I have two 'kids', now 30 and 32, and each had an incident at 18 months (I think it was after MMR...it's been a long time now & I can't remember for certain) with high fever which caused both to be hospitalized and one who convulsed and stopped breathing! Scary days. When I see what children take now to what my kids took,I am over-whelmed. Consequently, when I hear of present day complaints I don't dismiss them.

[varkam]

17. Yawn.

I would explain your ludicrous strawmen to you, but you have me on ignore. Hell, even if you didn't have me on mechanical ignore you wouldn't read what I had to say anyway. So, in closing: go democrats!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. Did the court rule that Hannah's autism was caused by a vaccine?

[cosmik debris]

19. She was NOT diagnosed with autism. n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

22. But the OP wrote, "The Hannah Polling Autism claim was found to be deserving of a settlement."

[cosmik debris]

23. It is entirely possible that the OP is

full-o-shit.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

24. Could you please provide an example

of someone claiming that vaccines are 100% safe?

Thanks in advance.

[flyingobject]

28. If all vaccines are safe all of the time, then why has $1.8 Billion been paid out

to victims damaged by vaccines?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

29. Who said that they were 100% safe all of the time?

[kimmerspixelated]

30. DINGDINGDING!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

31. Maybe you can answer the question since you agreed, Who said 100% of vaccines are safe all the time?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. And that's why people make up false claims about vaccines.

So they can cash in on phony lawsuits.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

33. Enough children injured to cause a payout this big

means that we need to do better on vaccine safety.

[flyingobject]

35. and 30 Big Pharma have 3+ Billion in revenue per year

laughing laughing laughing all the way toooo the
BANK

[flyingobject]

38. funny this vaccine injury fund was lobbied for by BIG PHARMA

to protect their asses.