HHS to Propose Vaccine Injury Table for Compensation

The Department of Health and Human Services is moving to establish a formal list of injuries presumed to be caused by COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, a regulatory step that could streamline federal compensation for individuals who claim they were harmed by pandemic countermeasures. According to a notice published on July 1, HHS plans to propose a rule in November to create a "COVID-19 Countermeasures Injury Table" for the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP).

The proposed table would identify specific ailments and the timeframes in which they must occur after vaccination to be presumed directly caused by a covered countermeasure. Under current rules, claimants must provide extensive evidence to prove causation. An official injury table would shift that burden, making it easier for individuals with listed conditions to qualify for benefits without needing to prove their case from scratch. The CICP, authorized under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, is the sole avenue for compensation for COVID-19 vaccine injuries, as these shots are excluded from the older National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

HHS has not disclosed which injuries...