Is Vaccine Court Fair?
There is an ongoing debate between vaccine manufacturers and the families of people who have been injured by a vaccine about whether the near immunity from liability given to vaccine makers is fair. This debate is making headlines this week as the US Supreme Court hears an important case about whether vaccine makers can be held liable in certain types of product liability lawsuits.
Vaccine makers and the American Academy of Pediatrics are in favor of limiting vaccine makers' liability for vaccines that cause injuries. They say that drug manufacturers will stop making vaccines if they are subjected to product liability lawsuits and that vaccines do much more good than harm. The parents of children who have been injured by vaccines say that product liability lawsuits in civil courts are the best way to make sure that vaccine makers are developing and selling the safest possible vaccines. Right now, children who are injured by vaccines can seek compensation from the Vaccine Court, but only for injuries that the Court has found to be linked to the vaccine.