Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday stated he’s working to overtake the Vaccine Harm Compensation Program (VCIP), which is geared toward compensating individuals who have been injured by vaccines.
“The VICP is broken, and I intend to fix it. I will not allow the VICP to continue to ignore its mandate and fail its mission of quickly and fairly compensating vaccine-injured individuals,” Kennedy wrote in a prolonged publish on X.
Kennedy has lengthy focused the VCIP, and his X publish echoed lots of his earlier arguments.
He has beforehand stated he desires to increase this system, making it simpler for claimants to qualify for awards primarily based on adversarial occasions he claims are related to vaccines however usually are not at present a part of this system.
Congress created the VCIP in 1986 as a part of a regulation that required well being suppliers and producers to report vaccine adversarial occasions to the Division of Well being and Human Providers.
This system is designed to supply honest and fast payouts for youngsters and pregnant girls that suffer uncommon however severe unwanted effects from photographs. It additionally gives a legal responsibility defend to producers to encourage them to proceed making vaccines.
The VCIP is “no fault” so households can get compensation with out having to show that drugmakers had been negligent. Plaintiffs petition a particular courtroom system the place authorities officers often called particular masters, who function like judges, rule on circumstances with out juries.
Profitable plaintiffs get cash from the federal authorities, not vaccine producers. The compensation belief fund comes from an excise tax on advisable vaccines, however the sum of money plaintiffs can win is capped.
This system additionally makes it simpler to sue producers in different courts.
Kennedy, who based a distinguished anti-vaccine group, has pushed the debunked declare that vaccines trigger autism and has been concerned in suing vaccine makers over affected person harm claims, has stated the VCIP removes any incentive for drug firms to make protected photographs.
“The VICP no longer functions to achieve its Congressional intent,” Kennedy wrote. “I will not allow the VICP to continue to ignore its mandate and fail its mission of quickly and fairly compensating vaccine-injured individuals.”
Kennedy didn’t elaborate on what adjustments he’s making, however stated he’s working with Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi.
Earlier this month, throughout an interview with Tucker Carlson, Kennedy stated he has a group at HHS engaged on increasing the VCIP.
“We just brought a guy in this week who is going to be revolutionizing the Vaccine Injury Compensation program,” Kennedy stated.
“We’re looking at ways to enlarge the program so that COVID vaccine-injured people can be compensated … we’re looking at ways to enlarge the statute of limitations,” Kennedy added.
