Vaccine Injury Claims Expected to Increase in 2016 Federal Advisory Committee Update By Theresa Wrangham, NVIC Executive Director

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Vaccine Injury Claims Expected to Increase in 2016

Federal Advisory Committee Update By Theresa Wrangham, NVIC Executive Director It came as no surprise to me that during the meeting of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) on December 4, 2015 that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Division of Injury Compensation Programs (DICP) reported that the number of vaccine injury claims for this fiscal year will exceed previous years. I have monitored this committee for the past six years and have seen the number of claims rise every year. Sadly they are likely to represent only a fraction of the vaccine injured, due to the lack of public awareness of the existence of the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) created under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which has a record of dismissing two-thirds of claims received. Adults, Not Children, Get Most Vaccine Injury Compensation Awards   The estimated 1,000 claims that the VICP anticipates being filed in 2016 are projected to cost $224 million. Although the VICP was originally created by Congress to shield drug companies producing government licensed, recommended and mandated vaccines for children, today it is not children but adults injured by influenza vaccine who are receiving most of the compensation.   The majority of compensated flu shot injury claims are for nerve inflammation diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system and can result in life-long paralysis. Also on the rise are government conceded claims for shoulder injuries (SIRVA) caused by vaccine providers failing to properly administer vaccinations. GBS and SIRVA are in the process of being added to the federal Vaccine Injury Table to expedite the administrative vaccine injury claims process for those two injuries.   Read the rest of this article, learn about what adult vaccines are not covered by the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation program, and post a comment, here.

NVIC Legislative Update

NVIC Advocacy Portal staff report below on states with active vaccine related legislation. You can read more about these states on NVIC's Advocacy Portal. Act today! Indiana has a bill to remove the philosophical/conscientious exemption.  NVIC supporters in Indiana oppose this bill and an alert has been issued. Colorado has a hearing on HB 1164 today (Feb. 25). This bill is the first in the U.S. to propose that parents must submit school and daycare exemptions directly to the state health department for health officials' own use, which circumvents federal privacy protections of information in school records! See NVIC's alert to oppose. Hawaii will hold a decision making hearing on SB 2394, a bill to force flu vaccination of health care workers, in the Senate Ways and Means Committee today (Feb. 25) at 9:30 am in conference room 211. Call committee members to oppose! Maryland has two hearings coming up on mandatory HPV vaccines for kids: HB 1178 on Mar. 10 at 1 pm in the House Ways and Means Committee and SB 860 on Mar. 9 at 1 pm in Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs.  Read our alert to oppose! Washington has executive sessions tomorrow (Feb. 26)  on SB 5143 - mandatory vaccine education for pregnant families in the House Committee on Health Care and Wellness at 10 am.  See bill information on NVIC's Advocacy Portal.  Government information on vaccines is rarely balanced with risks.  Express your concerns on forced education to your legislators. The South Dakota legislature has passed SB 28, which requires mandatory meningococcal vaccinations for children attending school, and has sent the bill to the governor.  Contact Governor Daugaard and ask him to VETO SB 28. Contact links are on NVIC's Advocacy Portal. The Virginia bill, HB 313, to expand who can give vaccines passed the House and Senate. Now  it is time to contact Governor Terry McAuliffe to veto! Read NVIC's alert on the Advocacy Portal. Congratulations to the state of Oklahoma and the members of Oklahoman's for Vaccine Choice and NVIC Advocacy for successfully fighting SB 1478 to remove the philosophical vaccine exemption.  This bill died in committee on a vote of 6 to 7 on Feb. 22.  Bills are filed or have recently been filed in the following states that NVIC is actively following: CA, MA, MI, MS, NH, NJ, OH, OK, RI!  Bill information is posted has been posted on NVIC's Advocacy Portal.  Your voice is needed! Register today on  NVIC's Advocacy Portal and state up-to-date with vaccine legislative efforts in your state.

NVIC in the News

Vaccinations: What Is Happening and What Do You Need To Know? From the restricting of those who qualify for a medical exemption to the taking away of the religious and conscience exemptions from vaccine laws combined with restricting the terms under which you can receive compensation if you are injured... what are we to call this? Jim Schneider interviews NVIC President Barbara Loe Fisher. Crosstalk America, VCY Radio Jan. 25, 2016.   Yes, Virginia, Your Vaccine Exemptions Are Safe... for now. Age of Autism writer Cathy Jameson tells readers about the introduction and withdrawal of one of the worst vaccine bills and how quickly NVIC's Advocacy Portal got the word out to parents. Barbara Loe Fisher said we're looking at forced vaccination of all federally mandated vaccines with no exemptions with a 100% vaccine rate with no liability and no compensation (for injuries). Jameson reminds readers that Californians weren't so lucky and the need for Americans to remain vigilant and engage to protect vaccine freedom. Age of Autism Jan. 31, 2016 (republished in The Vaccine Reaction Feb. 1).   Sacramento County schools may allow special-needs students to avoid vaccines. Special education students have federally mandated education plans requiring instruction in mainstream classrooms regardless of vaccination status. California's Senator Pan, sponsor of SB 277, which removed non-medical vaccine exemptions, believes that otherwise. NVIC's President and co-founder Barbara Loe Fisher responded, "When you have a child that has suffered a vaccine reaction and has become disabled and has special educational needs, you are putting (parents) in the position of having to choose between giving them an education and protecting the child from further vaccine injury," she said. The Sacramento Bee Feb. 4, 2016. Touchy Subject Of Child Vaccinations Debated At State Capitol. Colorado's Rep. Dan Pabon has once again introduced vaccine legislation. His latest bill, HB 1164 threatens to strip families exercising their legal exemption rights of federal privacy protections and allow the state health department to obtain personally identifying information on exemptors. Theresa Wrangham, NVIC's Executive Director, "I think this is about another way to harass parents who choose to delay or decline (vaccinations)," she said. CBS4-TV (Denver). Feb 13, 2016. Vaccine Controversies. CQ Researcher, a 90-year old weekly subscription publication reporting on current social and political issues and used as an information source by public and school libraries, legislators and journalists, has published a 22-page referenced analysis of the vaccine safety and choice debate in the U.S. NVIC Co-founder and President Barbara Loe Fisher was interviewed and participated in a pro-con OpEd debate with the Executive Director of Every Child by Two on the question "Should Children Have To Be Vaccinated to Attend School?" CQ Researcher (Sage Publications) Feb. 19, 2016.

Report and Share Your Vaccine Experiences

On our website you can make a report to NVIC's 33-year old Vaccine Reaction Registry and/or publicly post a vaccine reaction report with a photo on the Memorial for Vaccine Victims.   On the Vaccine Failure Wall, you can describe your experience if a vaccine failed to protect you or your child from disease.   If you were bullied, threatened or punished by a doctor, government official or employer for making an independent vaccine choice for yourself or your child, you can post a report on the Cry for Vaccine Freedom Wall.

Join our Daily Conversation on Facebook and Weekly in The Vaccine Reaction Journal

News and opinion about what is happening when it comes to vaccine science, regulation, policy and law that will affect you and your family is being reported and talked about every day by more than 165,000 fans on NVIC's Facebook page . Also, make sure you, your family and friends are receiving NVIC's free weekly journal, The Vaccine Reaction and the free NVIC Newsletter published monthly. And don't forget to become a registered user of the NVIC Advocacy Portal and take action in your state to protect your legal right to make voluntary vaccine choices.