Biden Withdraws Trump Rule to Erode Consumer Protections for Vaccine Injuries, Work Remains to Improve Program

***For Immediate Release***

Biden Withdraws Trump Rule to Erode Consumer Protections for Vaccine Injuries, Work Remains to Improve Program

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chairman of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, praised the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for withdrawing a Trump Administration rule that would have stripped consumer protections from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP was established in 1986 to provide fair compensation to the very few, an estimated 1 in 1 million vaccine recipients, who are injured by a covered vaccination. Under former President Trump, HHS had rushed a final rule to eliminate protections for two of the most common vaccine injuries: SIRVA and syncope. SIRVA, an injury to the shoulder caused by an error in administration, accounts for over half of recent vaccine injuries. Trump ignored the facts and the experts in pushing this rule, despite unanimous opposition by the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, and strong opposition by vaccine manufacturers, pediatricians, and pharmacists. Today, under a humane Administration, HHS officially withdrew this dangerous rule. Rep. Doggett released the following statement:

"As the Nation works to immunize every adult from the dreaded COVID-19 virus, President Biden has rightfully withdrawn a dangerous rule that would block access to just compensation for very rare vaccine injuries. To bolster public confidence, we must assure consumers that vaccines are safe, injuries are extremely rare, and fair compensation is available. Building on today's important step to protect the integrity of the VICP, I will be offering legislation to include COVID-19 vaccines in the VICP, which the Trump Administration placed in the deeply flawed Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program. My legislation will also update the VICP to ensure prompt action with reasonable compensation. One way to address vaccine hesitancy is to ensure fair treatment of the one in a million who suffer from rare side effects."

In February, Congressman Doggett chaired the first Health Subcommittee hearing of the 117^th Congress, "The Path Forward on COVID-19 Immunizations." During this hearing, Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, testified in support of modernizing the VICP and noted its importance in promoting vaccine confidence.

You can view Dr. Jha's oral testimony here and read his written testimony here.

You can view Congressman Doggett's public comment to HHS supporting withdrawal of the Trump rule here.

You can view the final rule withdrawing the Trump rule here.

Follow Congressman Doggett

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/RepLloydDoggett | Twitter: @RepLloydDoggett | Instagram:@RepLloydDoggett