Profession
AMA supports expanding Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 11, 2005
Physicians at the American Medical Association Annual Meeting in June approved a resolution that called on the Association to support the expansion of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund to include any vaccine recommended for use in the adult population.
The fund was established in the late 1980s as a way to provide a no-fault approach to protecting both vaccine manufacturers and health care professionals from liability in cases involving injury from vaccines. While it was originally designed to cover vaccines given to children, the Dept. of Health and Human Services also has said claims may be filed by adults who receive vaccines on the list.
Hepatitis A and influenza were recently added to the list of covered vaccines, leaving only the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine as uncovered for adults. A Board of Trustees report said protecting new vaccines for adults is important to decrease manufacturers' risk and to encourage new companies to enter the market.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/07/11/prbf0711.htm.