Newsletter: TY to reader Nimueh:

By Theresa Wrangham, NVIC Executive Director

It came as no surprise to me that during the meeting of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) on December 4, 2015 that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Division of Injury Compensation Programs (DICP) reported that the number of vaccine injury claims for this fiscal year will exceed previous years. I have monitored this committee for the past six years and have seen the number of claims rise every year. Sadly they are likely to represent only a fraction of the vaccine injured, due to the lack of public awareness of the existence of the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) created under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which has a record of dismissing two-thirds of claims received.

Adults, Not Children, Get Most Vaccine Injury Compensation Awards

The estimated 1,000 claims that the VICP anticipates being filed in 2016 are projected to cost $224 million. Although the VICP was originally created by Congress to shield drug companies producing government licensed, recommended and mandated vaccines for children, today it is not children but adults injured by influenza vaccine who are receiving most of the compensation.

The majority of compensated flu shot injury claims are for nerve inflammation diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system and can result in life-long paralysis. Also on the rise are government conceded claims for shoulder injuries (SIRVA) caused by vaccine providers failing to properly administer vaccinations. GBS and SIRVA are in the process of being added to the federal Vaccine Injury Table to expedite the administrative vaccine injury claims process for those two injuries.

Read the rest of this article, learn about what adult vaccines are not covered by the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation program, and post a comment, here.

NVIC Legislative Update
NVIC Advocacy Portal staff report below on states with active vaccine related legislation. You can read more about these states on NVIC's Advocacy Portal. Act today!

Indiana has a bill to remove the philosophical/conscientious exemption. NVIC supporters in Indiana oppose this bill and an alert has been issued.

Colorado has a hearing on HB 1164 today (Feb. 25). This bill is the first in the U.S. to propose that parents must submit school and daycare exemptions directly to the state health department for health officials' own use, which circumvents federal privacy protections of information in school records! See NVIC's alert to oppose.

Hawaii will hold a decision making hearing on SB 2394, a bill to force flu vaccination of health care workers, in the Senate Ways and Means Committee today (Feb. 25) at 9:30 am in conference room 211. Call committee members to oppose!

Maryland has two hearings coming up on mandatory HPV vaccines for kids: HB 1178 on Mar. 10 at 1 pm in the House Ways and Means Committee and SB 860 on Mar. 9 at 1 pm in Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs. Read our alert to oppose!

Washington has executive sessions tomorrow (Feb. 26) on SB 5143 - mandatory vaccine education for pregnant families in the House Committee on Health Care and Wellness at 10 am. See bill information on NVIC's Advocacy Portal. Government information on vaccines is rarely balanced with risks. Express your concerns on forced education to your legislators.

The South Dakota legislature has passed SB 28, which requires mandatory meningococcal vaccinations for children attending school, and has sent the bill to the governor. Contact Governor Daugaard and ask him to VETO SB 28. Contact links are on NVIC's Advocacy Portal.

The Virginia bill, HB 313, to expand who can give vaccines passed the House and Senate. Now it is time to contact Governor Terry McAuliffe to veto! Read NVIC's alert on the Advocacy Portal.

Congratulations to the state of Oklahoma and the members of Oklahoman's for Vaccine Choice and NVIC Advocacy for successfully fighting SB 1478 to remove the philosophical vaccine exemption. This bill died in committee on a vote of 6 to 7 on Feb. 22.

Bills are filed or have recently been filed in the following states that NVIC is actively following: CA, MA, MI, MS, NH, NJ, OH, OK, RI! Bill information is posted has been posted on NVIC's Advocacy Portal.