Critical Issues Facing The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

The mission of the VICP is to process claims expeditiously and fairly utilizing current vaccine safety research to determine injuries thought to be caused by vaccines, and raise awareness about the existence of the VICP. Since its inception, the VICP has been a key component in stabilizing the U.S. vaccine market by providing liability protection to both vaccine companies and health care providers. Not only does it provide a more streamlined and less adversarial alternative to the traditional tort system for resolving claims, the VICP encourages research and development of new and safer vaccines.

Following are the critical issues facing the VICP over the next five years (2005-2010):

Dramatic shift in claims from nearly all alleging a Vaccine Injury Table (Table) condition to the majority now alleging a non-Table (or off-Table) condition, which creates a more difficult burden for petitioners and raises questions as to how the current causation standard is applied to VICP claims; the claims process is difficult for stakeholders to understand; and many parents, the general public, attorneys, and health care professionals are not aware of the existence of the VICP.

To address these critical issues, the VICP developed a 5-year Strategic Plan. Over the next 5 years, the VICP will implement the following strategic goals to work toward achieving its vision. The vision of the VICP is to fairly compensate individuals injured by covered vaccines quickly, easily and with certainty, and create an environment that fosters the production and use of existing vaccines and the development of new, safe and effective vaccines.

Strategic Theme 1
• Examine alternative approaches for adjudication of off-Table claims.

Strategic Theme 2
• Assure that the VICP is responsive to evolving science, medicine and policy actions.

Strategic Theme 3
• Assess and streamline the claims process to make it quicker, more user-friendly, and fair to all parties.

Strategic Theme 4
• Increase knowledge about the VICP among all stakeholders.

The VICP will develop a plan to implement its strategic goals and objectives. This Strategic Plan will be updated periodically.