Vaccine injury compensation programs worldwide

Approximately a dozen countries provide some form of compensation for injuries (or deaths) following vaccination. More than anything else, they were instituted in the belief governments have a special responsibility to those injured by properly manufactured and administered vaccines used in public health programs. Administratively, most are managed through the national government, including decisions on eligibility for and amount of compensation. Eligibility may depend on the recipient's age, citizenship or residency status, category of vaccine (e.g., recommended, compulsory), the location it is administered (public vs private ambulatory setting), or satisfying certain time frames for filing a claim. Since few vaccine-related injuries have a clinical or laboratory marker, proving actual causation is difficult. Causation decisions are usually based on the balance of probabilities standard of more likely than not. All countries require that the effects be long lasting (e.g., greater than 6 months), and nearly all provide coverage for medical costs, disability pensions, and death benefits, while noneconomic damages (pain and suffering) are included much less frequently. Funding is generally from the national treasury, with some programs receiving support from lower governmental entities or vaccine manufacturers. After nearly 4 decades of operation, vaccine injury compensation program appears to be an increasingly accepted component of immunization programs today. While we have a much better understanding of their statutory purpose, frame work, process and outcome, there is much more to be learned. Future research should focus on vaccine compensation programs and (1) decision-making at the administrative level; (2) the utilization of outcome indicators in order to gauge effectiveness, including immunization acceptance; (3) the knowledge and attitudes of the public and medical community in host countries; and (4) the overall perspective of vaccine manufacturers. Insight into these and other areas will no doubt aid other countries as they consider implementing programs of their own.