December, 2014

Editor

“Since fiscal year 1999, HHS has added six vaccines to the vaccine injury table, but it has not added covered injuries associated with these vaccines to the table. This means that while individuals may file VICP claims for these vaccines, each petitioner must demonstrate that the vaccine that was administered caused the alleged injury. HHS is considering adding covered injuries associated with these vaccines; but as of September 2014, it had not published any final rules to do so.

The balance of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund, managed by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) increased from $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2009 to nearly $3.3 billion at the end of fiscal year 2013 as the trust fund’s income (from net revenues from vaccine excise taxes and interest on investments) outpaced its disbursements to HHS, USCFC, and the Department of Justice (DOJ), which represents HHS in VICP proceedings. VICP compensation, funded by the trust fund, increased from less than $126 million in each of fiscal years 1999 to 2009 to over $254 million in fiscal year 2013.”

  • US DHHS Decree: Immunity under U.S. law against legal claims related to the manufacturing, testing, development, distribution and administration of three experimental Ebola vaccines (Yahoo Finance)
  • CDC announces to doctors that the current flu vaccine may not protect against today’s predominately circulating H3N2 influenza virus (CBS This Morning)
  • Dec 4, 2014: European agency clears Novartis vaccine in Italy scare (France 24)
  • Novartis flu vaccine on hold in Italy after suspicious deaths (CIDRAP)
  • Study: Epidemic of complicated mumps in previously vaccinated young adults in the South-West of France (Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses, December 2014)
  • Study, Tdap vaccination during pregnancy: small but statistically significant increased risk of chorioamnionitis (1-Medscape, 2-Dr. Halvorsen)
  • Petitions Received for Vaccine Injury Compensation Program  (Federal Register)