The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a quiet but essential part of our public health system. It helps ensure that vaccines remain widely available and affordable by giving families a fair, science-based way to seek compensation for rare adverse effects—without driving vaccine manufacturers out of the market.
We’ve seen what happens without a system like this. In the 1980s, a surge in lawsuits led many vaccine producers to stop operating in the U.S., causing dangerous shortages of childhood vaccines and putting children at risk for serious diseases like whooping cough. The VICP was created—with broad bipartisan support—to solve that problem by balancing accountability with stability.
Now, proposed changes to the program by the new HHS Secretary risk upsetting that balance.
Suggestions like adding scientifically unproven conditions (such as autism) to the injury table or expanding the statute of limitations could exhaust program resources and reintroduce the legal uncertainty that once pushed vaccine makers out of the market.
These are not just administrative tweaks—they could have real consequences for vaccine access, supply, and public trust.
Congress should act now to ensure any proposed changes are grounded in credible scientific evidence and transparent data analysis. Public hearings and expert review are essential to protect this crucial safeguard for families and vaccine supply alike.
The VICP isn't perfect, but it's one of the reasons we’ve had stable access to life-saving vaccines for decades. Let’s not put that legacy at risk without a clear, evidence-based path forward.
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